County Photographers' collection, 1950-1993

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Summary

Creators:
Santa Clara County (Calif.) County Photographers
Abstract:
This collection consists of black and white and color photographs - approximately 50,000 negatives, 2,500 slides, and 4,500 prints created by the County Photographers to document the activities and development of the county's government.
Extent:
32 containers
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

County Photographers' collection, 2006-013, Santa Clara County Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The County Photographers' Collection consists of black and white and color photographs - approximately 50,000 negatives, 2,500 slides, and 4,500 prints. These photographs depict a wide array of the county's activities and development between 1950 and 1993. They include aerial photographs of rural and urban parts of the county; portraits, award ceremonies, and retirement functions of county officials and employees; interior and exterior construction progress of various county buildings, such as the county government center, county service center, juvenile center, public and mental health centers, county jails and hospitals; as well as a variety of photographs that include the airports, schools, courts, and parks throughout the county.

The collection was cataloged into a database, in which each record contains the following information: order number, date of photograph, subject, black and white or color, quantity of photographs, film format or size, and the county department that ordered the photographs. The database is searchable by subject keyword, date, format, or county department.

The photographic film formats found in the collection include 35mm, 126, 127, 828, 120, 620, 4x5, as well as prints ranging in size from 2x3 to 11x14.

Biographical / historical:

The County Photography Department was utilized for many decades to document the activities and development of the county's government. Charles A. Taddo was the Director of the County Photography Department during much of the time span of this collection.

Acquisition information:
These records were among collections transferred by the Planning Department in 2006.
Processing information:

The photographic material in this collection was identified and separated from the larger accession of which it was a part. The material was cataloged into a database, re-housed into appropriate archival sleeves and storage containers, and arranged sequentially by photograph order number.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged sequentially by photograph order number.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Archives staff.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The Archives can claim physical ownership only for some collections. Users are responsible for securing permission of the copyright holder for publication or quotation.

Preferred citation:

County Photographers' collection, 2006-013, Santa Clara County Archives.

Location of this collection:
1875 Senter Road
San Jose, CA 95112, US
Contact:
(408) 755-7895
Archives@rec.sccgov.org
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