Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
Monterey County, California
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
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
Image not available
Manuscripts
Includes Panoche area; Sargent oil field; and San Benito Quadrangle.
mssVanGundy
Image not available
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