Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Frank Kester papers and photographs
- Dates:
- ca. 1912-1981
- Extent:
- 5.40 Linear Feet (5 cartons and 1 manuscript box)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[identification of item, date] Frank Kester papers and photographs (MS 3588). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Frank Kester papers and photographs provide a detailed account of the life of a reporter and nature lover. Included are chapters of his autobiography, short stories, poetry and photographs that document many of his travels. Kester's research notes and stories highlight the histories of small California towns, national parks and Bay Area waterfronts. The collection contains original reporting as well as unpublished manuscripts such as The Sea Takes its Toll and They Tramped the Mountains. Includes a typescript,Memories of the San Francisco earth quake [sic] and fire, April 1906.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Born in Cholame Valley, California in March 1888, Frank Kester spent his youth in small towns including Alvarado, Mendocino and Watsonville. Before Kester reached his teens, his mother divorced his father, remarried and moved the family to Oakland. He had finished six years of schooling when his stepfather decided that he should withdraw from school in order to contribute to the family income. He entered into a series but convinced his stepfather of his ability to work and attend school, becoming the assistant editor for his school's paper.
By the time he was eighteen, Kester was on the sports staff of theMorning Call and theSan Francisco Examiner newspapers. After a short stint on the sports page, he was moved over to the waterfront beat. When news of the World War I surfaced, he was reassigned to the news department. In November 1917 Kester reported for naval duty. Overseas for one year, he took the opportunity to document through photographs and autobiographical sketches the personal and tragic side of war.
At the war's end, he came back to San Francisco and the newspaper business. He joined the staff of the Oakland Tribune in 1921. Kester wrote about California history, from the gold country and the Yosemite mountains to the small towns and growing cities. The majority of his eighteen years at the Tribune were spent reporting on the San Francisco and Oakland waterfront and editing a full page daily on maritime activities. He witnessed the emergence of a militant union and strikes, the expansion of the land fill and harbor construction, and the economic boom in the shipping trades following World War II.
Kester was a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, the Masons and the Audobon Society.
- Acquisition information:
- Possibly donated by Kester or Kester's sister, Marguerite Haven, date unknown. Transferred to Stanford University Libraries in 2025.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-03-04 10:09:40 -0800 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-collections/permission-publish.
- Preferred citation:
-
[identification of item, date] Frank Kester papers and photographs (MS 3588). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
Department of Special Collections, Green Library557 Escondido MallStanford, CA 94305-6004, US
- Contact:
- (650) 725-1022