Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
Butte County : where northern California oranges grow
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Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Manuscripts
Approx. 22 items: collection of news, historical and promotional material on Orange County's history, the Irvine Ranch and on the county's centennial in 1989. Notable items: reprint, (L.A. Times) West Magazine, 12/31/1967, "Color the California revolution Orange" ; tear sheet, LAT "Outlook" section, 8/4/1968, pp. 1 story, "83,000-acre Irvine Ranch comes into the 20th century" ; four complete issues of Sherman Library & Gardens Newsletter, dated between 1980 and 1986 ; three 1988 brochures produced by County of Orange, "Heritage Hill Historical Park," "Historic George Key Ranch," and "Ramon Peralta Adobe - 1871" ; brochure, "Orange County Centennial, 1889-1989."
mssLAT
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Manuscripts
The Clarence E. Van Gundy papers contain material related to his education, but consist primarily of material related to mining and his career in the petroleum industry from 1903-1985. Series 1: Education papers consists of Van Gundy's class notes and assignments, while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley in the 1930s. Included are notebooks, notes, manuscripts, photographs, and specimen samples related to his doctoral research in the Grand Canyon. This series also includes scientific papers produced from his research related to faulting in the eastern part of the Grand Canyon. Series 2: Mining papers consists of analyses of various oil fields and individual wells scattered throughout California; also included are core report samples, expenses, memorandums, technical drawings, logging reports, and a plethora of maps, many of them manuscripts or heavily annotated. The mining papers are arranged in the following manner: state - county or valley - area, district, or field (if available). Material in the two sub-series may be related, for example material in subseries 1 may reference memorandums that investigate heavy minerals in the San Joaquin Valley in subseries 2. Although the papers are heavily focused on California, there is also material related to other states.
mssVanGundy
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Visual Materials
A collection of photographs and maps compiled by American geologist and petroleum engineer Ralph Arnold (1875-1961), documenting his pioneering work in oil and mineral exploration, chiefly in the Western United States, Mexico and Venezuela, from 1900 to 1954. The collection centers on 64 photograph albums that span 50 years of Arnold's life and work. Photographs are accompanied by Arnold's typed captions identifying geological features; oil and mining activities; technical data; and dates and locations, i.e. often an oil or mining "district" or "field," such as "Sunset Field" (California). Subject matter includes geological and topographical features such as rock formations, faults and schisms, mountain structure, geothermal activity, and open land with potential drilling or mining spots. Earthquake faults are seen and described in many of Arnold's California investigations. There are also views of small and large-scale oil operations (by individuals and by organized companies); details of oil flow and reservoirs; asphalt; drilling equipment; workers and fields of oil wells. Arnold's work took him all over the Western United States, particularly California oil fields, but also Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and other states. From 1911-1916 he was primarily in South America, and in the 1920s-1940s, mostly in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Mining operations are the focus of some albums, showing investigations for tin, gold and other minerals; mines and ore processing, all with detailed descriptions. Arnold also often photographed people: colleagues and business associates, oil lease owners on their properties; workers (particularly Black and Asian workers in Venezuela); and friends and family. Personal photographs are throughout the album, such as of his wife, Winninette, and their two daughters; Stokes family members (Winninette's family) in South Pasadena; and alumni of Pasadena High School and Stanford University. Arnold was an avid gardener and the albums contain detail views of cactus and tropical plants, and scenes of Arnold collecting wild orchids in Trinidad, Venezuela and Mexico. The maps date from 1880-1948 and include U.S.G.S. and geological maps, California oil fields and well locations; layouts of mines, and various tract maps showing oil company-owned land.
photCL 311
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Visual Materials
The collection consists of 6202 black-and-white and color photographs, pen and ink drawings, and postcards, 1412 black-and-white and color negatives, 2606 black-and-white and color slides, and ephemeral materials, 1898-1982 (bulk 1920s-1930s) collected by the Automobile Club of Southern California. They form a general photographic reference collection as well as a broad visual survey of topics of interest to California motorists. Included are images of sites in North and Central America (with an emphasis on California), Europe, the Pacific Islands, and portraits, as well as images related to other subjects of interest to the Club's membership. Many of the images were published as illustrations for articles in the Club's first member magazine, Touring Topics. A large portion of the photographs were taken by authors of articles that appeared in Touring Topics; others were commissioned by the Club; and others appear to have been sent to the Club. Photographers (and authors) include, but are not limited to, Ansel Adams, Fred Archer, Viroque Baker, George Hugh Banning, Adelbert Bartlett, Virginia S. Bartlett, Andrew R. Boone, Julius Cindrich, Norman Clyde, Will Connell, Loyd Cooper, Imogen Cunningham, Asahel Curtis, Edward Sheriff Curtis, Fred Dapprich, E.H. Davis, E.E. East, John Anson Ford, Frasher, Ewing Galloway, Forman G. Hanna, Phil Townsend Hanna, Hoag and Ford, John Edwin Hoag, Bert W. Huntoon, Philip Johnston, Dr. Frederick Monsen, Dave Packwood, C.C. Pierce, Ernest M. Pratt, Putnam Studios, E. Willard Spurr, and John L. Von Blon.
photCL 375