Visual Materials

Olive Percival photograph collection

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Description: This photograph collection contains sixty-nine cyanotype with a few sepia-tone and gelatin silver prints annotated with titles and descriptions attributed to Olive Percival (1869-1945). The subjects include views of the San Fernando, San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Obispo, and San Luis Rey missions. As well as various southern California landmarks (La Jolla, Ventura Jail, Guajome Ranch) and Los Angeles historical locations and events (Francisco Avila Adobe, Moneyan Institute Octoganol Adobe, Our Lady Queen of the Angels "La Placita," Old St. Charles Hotel, William Wolfskill Adobe, La Fiesta de Los Angeles parade). A number of these images share titles with the Olive Percival Collection of Photographs.
Type: Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1847-1912.
Call number: photPF 3714-3769
Provenance: This collection forms part of the Olive Percival Collection of Photographs.

Olive Percival Collection of Photographs

Visual Materials

The Olive Percival Collection of Photographs contains approximately 875 photographs of California and Mexico, chiefly cyanotype snapshots and gelatin silver prints of locations in Los Angeles and environs and Mexico City, taken chiefly by Olive Percival (1869-1945) from approximately 1880-1941; many of the photographs contain captions written on versos by Percival. The photographs of California depict San Pedro scenes including fishing shacks, boats, and squatters' huts on Terminal Island and East San Pedro; Chinatowns in Los Angeles and San Francisco, including street scenes and images of the first Fiesta de Los Angeles (1894) and the Feast of the Dead in Los Angeles (1902); exterior and interior views of Percival's home, collections, and garden, including many photographs with captions identifying particular plants; and cemeteries in Los Angeles, including the Calvary Cemetery, the Fort Hill Cemetery, and the San Gabriel Mission Cemetery. The collection also includes two sepia portraits of Percival as a young woman, one dated 1895 (Items 754-755); one photograph of Percival with her mother (Item 753); images of Indian basket collections that she used in writing articles (photPF 3940-3945); and photographs depicting various people and locations, chiefly in Los Angeles and environs, taken by Percival and by commercial photographers, including a set of studio portraits featuring various sitters. Photographs of Mexico depict various views of Mexico City, including the Flower Market, the Thieves' Market, the market at Viga Canal, and others; the Mexico City Cathedral and various other buildings; and street and courtyard scenes. Photographs depicting other areas of Mexico include views of churches, rural scenes, and images of various towns and regions including Juarez; Toluca; Guadalupe; Teotihuacan, including images from journeys to the Pyramid of the the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon; Tocuba; Vera Cruz; Texcoco; Tlaxcola; and other locations.

photCL 217

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Olive Percival collection

Manuscripts

This collection contains the papers of Southern California author, gardener, book and art collector, photographer, and activist Olive Percival (1869-1945), dating chiefly from 1899 to 1946 and consisting of manuscripts (including biographical sketches, diaries, notebooks, poems, and short stories), correspondence, and ephemera. Manuscripts There are 376 pieces of manuscripts, the majority of which are by Olive Percival. The manuscripts comprise of biographical sketches, diaries, notebooks, poems, short stories, typescripts, and miscellaneous notes. The manuscripts are arranged alphabetically by author then title. Many of Olive Percival's unpublished short stories are set in Chinatown, Los Angeles. Percival's notebooks, diaries, and sketchbooks are semi-cataloged and are arranged chronologically. The subjects covered in Percival's diaries and notebooks include life in Los Angeles, Pasadena, the Arroyo Seco, Chinatown; descriptions of travel in California and United States; museums and libraries; the Friday Morning Club (Los Angeles, Calif.); the collecting of books, bookplates, prints, hats, dolls, Japanese art, Chinese art, and Chinese porcelain; and gardening. Notable people mentioned in Olive Percival's diaries are: Ruth St. Denis, Mrs. George M. Millard, Max Heinrich, Hildegarde Flanner, Grace Nicholson, Charles Fletcher Lummis, W. Irving Way, Frank Lloyd Wright, Jack London, and Wilbur Macey Stone. Correspondence There are 122 pieces of correspondence, the majority of which are by Ellen Dame Terry writing to Anna Held. It is arranged alphabetically then by date. Correspondence relating to Olive Percival mainly concerns letters from her friends and publisher. Notable authors include: Ellen Dame Terry, Anna Held, Anna Blake Mezquida, and Max Heinrich. Ephemera There are 341 pieces of ephemera. It is arranged by type and subject, and consists of an appointment book, bookmarks, bookplates, bulletins, empty envelopes, fliers, invoices, legal documents, military records, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, excerpts of periodicals, receipts, scrapbooks, tracts, and miscellaneous United States permits and a passport. The majority of the ephemera relates to Sheffield, Illinois, where Olive Percival was born. Additional newspaper clippings were added in May 2017. The clippings primarily relate to the Nuestro Pueblo column for the Los Angeles Times from 1937 through 1939. These clippings are in Box 14.

mssHM 79260-79378

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Olive Percival correspondence

Manuscripts

The collection consists of manuscripts by Hildegarde Flanner (11 poems, 1923-24), recollections of Olive Percival (1983), correspondence with Olive Percival (120 letters, 1923-1944) and letters to poet Ethel Hamilton Hinkle (52 letters, 1923-1953). The letters contain occasional references to Hildegarde Flanner's sister, the author and journalist Janet Flanner, as well as to Harriet Monroe and other literary figures.

HM 50020-50067

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Olive Percival correspondence

Manuscripts

HM 50068-50113

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Manuscripts; Olive Percival correspondence

Manuscripts

HM 49977-50019

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Subseries C. Olive Percival, House and Garden

Visual Materials

photCL 217

Olive Percival photograph collection

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Olive Percival Collection of Photographs

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Subseries C. Olive Percival, House and Garden