Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
Lines addressed to the poet Cutter
Image not available
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Image not available
Visual Materials
The Citrus label collection contains more than 1,500 lithographed labels related to the California citrus industry in the United States from 1880 to 1960, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1890 to 1940. The vast majority of the collection consists of lithographed labels produced for Californian growers, packers, and distributors to identify brand names and packing locations on wooden shipping crates of oranges, lemons and grapefruits. Many of the labels were printed by Los Angeles and San Francisco lithographers. The collection includes a range of lithography techniques from crayon drawing and hand stippling to the use of Ben Day screen patterns and half-tone lithography. The collection also includes more than 100 examples with "bronzing," a printing technique where varnish is printed on the label, followed by a dusting of fine bronze powder. A significant number of labels are stamped on verso with a received date by the Fruit Growers Supply Company, and some include signatures of approval or notations about printing corrections. The collection provides a broad view of the development of citrus fruit advertising over time, and also touches upon topics of commerce, manufacturing, travel and tourism, and promotion of the western United States. In the earliest examples, themes include naturalistic designs of flowers, animals, women, historical subjects, and scenic landscapes. Brand names, simple designs, block letters, and geometric patterns dominate in later examples. Many of the labels depict orange groves, scenic views, or flowers, though the collection also includes a wide variety of imagery beyond these themes including Native Americans, transportation, children, and portraits of famous or fictional people.
ephCL Ca_67
Image not available
Manuscripts
The documents provide insight into the business history and practices of the South Riverside Land and Water Company as well as the Jameson Packing House, which shipped citrus fruit, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
mssSouth Riverside Land and Water Company records
Image not available
Visual Materials
The Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) collection of prints and ephemera contains over 200 printed items related to the medical profession, including satire, medical curiosities, significant figures in the history of medicine, architectural views of hospitals, and the early years of LACMA itself. Many of the prints are engravings, some are lithographs, and a small selection are reproductions printed during a later period. The collection also includes personal correspondence, medical certificates and photographs of members of LACMA from the 20th century. The materials date from 1644 to 1946, although the bulk of the material dates from the late 18th to early 19th centuries. The collection covers topics including medicine, health, pharmaceuticals, patent medicines, quacks and quackery spanning over five centuries, as well as social perspectives on both the practices and practitioners in these fields.
priLACMA