Manuscripts
Josiah Foster Flagg notebooks
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Josiah Royce letters to Henry L. Oak
Manuscripts
This group of manuscripts is a series of letters from philosopher and historian Josiah Royce to Henry L. Oak, a librarian in California who was part of the founding of the Bancroft Library, which was known as the Pacific Library in its early years. The letters are dated between 1884 and 1886. In HM 20132, Royce writes of the book on California history that he is writing, with advice from Oak. Details of Royce's interview with General John C. Frémont and a possible conspiracy are in HM 20147 and HM 20133. Royce tells of his trip to Washington D. C. to search for "the Frémost documents" in HM 20134, where he failed to find a trace of "any secret instruction" for Frémont. It appears that Royce may have found such evidence in Oak's collections at the Bancroft Library, and considers presenting it to Frémont to gauge his reaction. Royce gives Oak permission to use whatever information from the interview he may find interesting for his own purposes. In his own book, he has included "an elaborate attack on Frémont's honor." Most of the letters are concerned with Frémont's apparent indiscretion and Royce's pending book on the matter, and Royce is keeping Oak informed as Oak's information played an important role in Royce's developing story. HM 20138, dated 1885, August 29, has cross-hatch writing on the first page. By mid-1886 (HM 20143, June 20), Royce's book has been published, and he discusses the resulting reviews and criticism. In July, Royce is happy to accept a list of suggestions from Oak to improve a future edition of his book (HM 20144, July 26), and upon the finding of a mistake in his book, asks Oak to "keep this on file as record of my discovery of my own blunder" while also requesting him to "let me know in case there should be any noteworthy attack on my book from any respectable source" (HM 20145, July 29).
mssHM 20132-20147
This is to certify that H. H. Flagg ... Gold Hill Fire Department
Visual Materials
Image of a firefighter's membership certificate from the Gold Hill Fire Department of Gold Hill, Nevada, made out in manuscript to H. H. Flagg and dated May 22, 1867, with multiple vignettes including bare-chested goddesses riding two horses, with one holding a triton; a manual fire engine and a steam fire engine; a firefighter returning a rescued baby to its mother; a wounded firefighter on a mattress being nursed by a young woman while another fireman on a ladder behind them lowers a bundle tied in a rope; two eye-level exterior views of firehouses, both labeled "Yellow Jacket Engine Ho."; and an elevated landscape view presumably of the town of Gold Hill, Nevada; the certificate and vignettes are decorated with borders containing ivy leaves, bean pods, grapes, and other plants and firefighting equipment including fire hydrants, hoses, ladders, hats, speaking trumpets, a lantern, censers, and axes.
priJLC_FIRE_001484
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Fred E. Foster collection
Manuscripts
Group of three letter books relating to the work of Fred E. Foster, an independent commercial agent in Shanghai from 1863-1866, and agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in Yokohama and Hong Kong from 1878-1882. Plus manuscript journal of the sailing ship St James' voyage under Master Burnham from New York to Hong Kong via San Francisco and Shanghai as well as the return journey via England, dated 1891-1892. The log book may not be in Foster's hand. The letter books reflect Foster's work with mercantile firms in the United States, England, and Europe and their commercial interests in Asia. Letters touch on topics including the acquisition of land leases; performance and compensation for consular services; market changes; buying and selling of goods; Foster's personal activities; everyday life in Asia; day-to-day company operations; and shipping concerns. Correspondents include international mercantile representatives; the PMSSC's presidents, D.S. Babcock and J.B. Houston; and employees of the PMSSC in San Francisco and other cities in Asia.
mssHM 80571-80574
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Notes on the United States of America. Collected in the years 1804, 1805-6-7 and 11-12: notebooks
Manuscripts
Manuscript of the text created between 1833 and 1839 (notebooks 1-5); with the original 1806-1807 notebook (6).
mssHM 1732
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Notebooks on official trips for the Western Waxed Paper Company
Manuscripts
Two notebooks kept by Edward H. Nunn of the Western Waxed Paper Company, a division of the Crown Zellerbach Corporation, based in Camas, Washington. Nunn kept the notebooks while traveling on business throughout California and also in Oregon and Texas. They include notes on the design, production techniques (with sketches), and potential uses of various types of wax paper (particularly those used to wrap bread loaves).
mssHM 74784-74785
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Thomas Doane engineering notebooks
Manuscripts
Four illustrated and textual notebooks kept by civil engineer Thomas Doane from 1875 to 1888. The volumes include construction cost estimates for roadbed construction of the Hoosac Tunnel, along with engineering information and schematics for a variety of projects, primarily centered in Massachusetts. Two of the notebooks specifically concern work on the Boston and Maine Railroad and the Eastern Railroad in the early 1880s, as well as residential surveys in the Boston area. The notebooks also contain detailed information on Boston streetcar routes, including precise measurements.
mssHM 83837-83840