The Bastian Collection consists of clippings and other biographical material, as well as original drawings and published copies of Bastian's two books: Souvenir Book of San Francisco and The Best of Bastian.

Robert O. Bastian spent his early years in Stockton, Calif. In 1940 he received a B.A. in Political Science from the College of the Pacific. Following graduation, Bastian studied art with Dong Kingman at the San Francisco Art Institute until the outbreak of World War II. After serving with the Marines in the South Pacific, he worked in San Francisco as an advertising illustrator until hired as editorial cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1953. Bastian held this position until a 1968 strike forced him to seek other employment. In that same year he was hired as cartoonist-in-residence by San Francisco Public Broadcasting's KQED-TV for a nightly hour-long news program called "Newsroom." Bastian's role on this program was to draw one cartoon each night during the course of the show. KQED published a collection of his 1968/69 efforts as The Best of Bastian. Bob Bastian committed suicide in 1970.

Collection is open for research.