Title:

[Family photographs of a Chinese American family of California]

Hakka Chinese American family collection

Chiefly unidentified family portraits and snapshots, with some group portraits of organizations. Summary from seller's description: "Collection of Chinese families from origins in Kwangtung Province to Northern California: San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Stockton, Sacramento areas, from the beginning of the 20th century to the 1970's. Hong Kong, San Francisco, Stockton, Sacramento, circa 1910-1970's. The earliest images [are] of Hong Kong immigrants [presumably] carrying old family photos, photos of ancestors and grand parents [on their way] to their newly established residence in Hong Kong, and their migration to Northern California. [Photos document] aged grandparents, elders, their siblings, relatives, and the following generations. [Photos document] their birthdays, weddings, Chinese Beauty contests, [graduations], funerals, and New Year festivals in San Francisco. The family archive covers a very broad period of some two generations, or about 60 years, of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in the Northern California area." Among the few Romanized inscriptions found on portraits, several dating from the 1930s are to "Bing" and one to "Bing Sun" and one to "Bing Chew." Based on this, the collection is presumed to have come, in total or in part, from the family of Bing Sun or Bing Chew. It is likely Bing was a young man in the 1930s. Other names that seem to be in the family are "Chieu Jimmy Wong" (born 1938), Ng Fong (photo of a Hong King ID card, 1951), and Ng Kwan-yeung (photo of a Hong Kong ID card, 1965), and siblings(?) George and Mary Chang, in the 1950s or 1960s. San Francisco studio photographers predominate. One portrait is from a Macau studio, one from Peking. Studio imprints from Colorado and Vancouver B.C. are also present. Container contents: PIC Box 1: Family portraits and snapshots, circa 1900-1970s. Most apparently in California, some from China. Some of the earliest portraits, from China, are filed here. Former dealer's binders 3 and 9, in order received -- PIC Box 2: Family portraits and snapshots, circa 1900-1940s, bulk 1920s-1930s. Most apparently in California, some from China. Rough-sorted by apparent decade -- PIC Box 3: Family portraits and snapshots, circa 1940-1960s, one 1980s. Most apparently in California, Includes a binder of photographs of the Miss Chinatown Contest (San Francisco), 1959 -- PIC Box 4: Family portraits and snapshots, circa 1900-1970s. Most apparently in California, some from China. Includes many basketball photographs, apparently in Chinatown, San Francisco in the 1970s and 1980s. Former dealer's binders 1 and 2, in order received -- PIC Box 5: 2 photograph albums (Dealer's numbers 7 and 8) and 3 framed portraits. One album (no, 7) dates to the 1930s. Some snapshots are inscribed to George Chang or to Mary (Chang?). The other album (no. 8) dates to 1938-1939, and contains baby photographs of a child identified as "Chieu Jimmy Wong", born 1938, San Francisco -- AX Box 1: Large format studio portraits and group portraits, bulk circa 1920s-1940s -- AX Box 2: Large format studio portraits and group portraits, bulk circa 1940s-1960s -- AX Box 3: 3 albums, (Dealer's volume numbers 4, 5, and 6.) Album 4 contains photographic copies of two ID cards, for Ng Fong (Hong King ID card, 1951, age 49), and Ng Kwan-yeung (Hong Kong ID card 1965, age 25), perhaps her son, bulk 1920s-1960s -- A Box 1: Miscellaneous family snapshots noted by dealer as "free" additions with purchase of lot. Unclear whether they were from the same source, but some contents seem to picture individuals found elsewhere. Some 1970s-1980s Chinatown basketball photographs are much like those found elsewhere in this collection -- A Box 2: [RESTRICTED] Rolled items, including 2 certificates and several tighly rolled photographs needing conservations before they may be viewed.

Date:

1900 (issued)

Subject:

n-us-ca

Chinese Americans -- California -- Portraits

Hakka (Chinese people) -- California -- Photographs

Hakka (Chinese people)

Chinatown (San Francisco, Calif.)

California

Title devised by cataloger. Seller's title: Hakka Chinese American family collection.

Compiled and created by an unidentified family, perhaps with surnames Bing, Ng, Chieu (Chew?) or Wong, and Chang.

Many items inscribed or annotated in Chinese. Includes 2 certificates. dated 1927, of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, for the Kwong Chong Sun Co. (also spelled Quong Chong Shing Co.) (in --A box 2), which may provide clues to identify the family.

--A box 2 (rolled items): RESTRICTED. Requests for use of original must be approved by the appropriate curator.

Purchase ; From from Rare Oriental Book Co ; 1999-2000.

Family photographs of a Chinese American family of California, BANC PIC 1999.088 Pt. 1, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Type:

graphic

Photographs.

photoprint

approximately 2,500 photographs in 10 boxes : black and white and color prints ; various sizes.

Chinese

Origin:

California

--A box 2 (rolled items): RESTRICTED. Requests for use of original must be approved by the appropriate curator.