Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
The pride of King Nabuchadnezzar. : Dan. 4. 26.27
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Rare Books
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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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Rare Books
435018
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Manuscripts
The collection is arranged alphabetically by author, or in the case of ephemera, type. The first six boxes consist entirely of correspondence, the lone exception being a manuscript entitled "Mind your Business," one of Scamman's school papers. Highlights include an extensive series of correspondence between the husband and wife from the early 1890s detailing Scamman's discovery that one of his trusted employees, Henry T. Briggs, had embezzled thousands of dollars from Scamman's bank in Downieville. Though Scamman did not prosecute Briggs criminally, he ordered his disgraced clerk to hand over all of his life insurance, his stock in the gold mine in which both men had invested, and any money in his possession. Also prominent in the correspondence are letters to and from captains of Scamman's ship, the bark "Wildwood." The collection's ephemera component is its largest, and includes business ledgers, checks, legal documents, receipts, bills, mortgages, promissory notes, insurance policies, deeds, and tax forms. There is also an autographed copy of a book given to Scamman's daughter in 1932 in oversize. Subjects in the collection include: agriculture; banks and banking; Butte County and Downieville (Calif.); merchant ships; mining; and Saco (Me.).
mssScamman papers
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Manuscripts
The collection has several strong subject points for the purpose of research including journalism and the writing process and the history of Los Angeles. There are many letters written during World War II that discuss life in America as well as abroad, especially Iwo Jima. The bulk of the collection includes correspondence to Smith from his readers, many of whom were persons of note, and Smith's own subject files of topics often discussed in his columns. The manuscripts include a number of Smith's notebooks as well as drafts of essays and monographs. The ephemera includes appearances of Smith's columns, photographs of Smith's work and family, and printed materials related to Smith's work and family life.
mssSmith, Jack papers