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Historical Society of Southern California Collection of Portrait Photographs
photCL 400 volume 31
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Repository:
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road,
San Marino, CA
91108
Phone: 626-405-2180
Email: jwatts@huntington.org
Title: Historical Society of Southern California Collection of Portrait Photographs
Dates: ca. 1850s-1997
Dates: (bulk 1860s-1930s);
Quantity: 12 boxes, 13.92 linear ft.
Abstract: The collection consists of 809 photographs in a variety of formats, circa 1850s-1997 (bulk 1860s-1930s). It is a reference
collection of individual and group portraits and contains portraits of both prominent and lesser-known Los Angelenos and Southern
Californians from both the 19th and 20th centuries.
Collection no: photCL 400 volume 31
Language of Material: English
Volume 31 comprises one portion of the Historical Society of Southern California (HSSC) Collection, which was donated to the
Huntington Library in 1992. The HSSC Collection as a whole contains approximately 15,000 photographs and negatives covering
the period circa 1870 to circa 1980, and almost exclusively depicts Southern California. As such, it is an important visual
record of the growth and history of the region.
The collection consists of 809 photographs in a variety of formats, circa 1850s-1997 (bulk 1860s-1930s). It is a reference
collection of individual and group portraits and contains portraits of both prominent and lesser-known Los Angelenos and Southern
Californians from both the 19th and 20th centuries.
The collection contains images created by a number of well-known California photographers. These include James B. Blanchard,
Boyé, Curtis Studios, George N. Dewey, Edouart and Son, Garden City Foto Co., William M. Godfrey, A.C. Golsh, Hayward and
Muzzall, Fred Hartsook, Hiller and Mott, Theodore C. Marceau, Francis Parker (as Parker and Co., Parker and Hasselman, and
Parker’s Photographic Parlors), Payne Stanton and Co., Henri Penelon, Steve A. Rendall, Frank G. Schumacher, William Shew,
John Pitcher Spooner, George Steckel, Isaiah West Taber, William Nutting Tuttle (as Tuttle and Lee, and Tuttle and Co.), O.E.
Tyler, Davidson Roby Weaver, Michael A. Wesner, James D. Westervelt (also in partnership with Charles J. Coules), and Valentin
Wolfenstein.
The Griggs portraits depict young women in various settings; the Kathryn Murdoch gift is primarily of album pages with snapshots
of local sites in Los Angeles.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by sitter, followed by identified groups, unidentified individuals, unidentified
groups, miscellaneous images, and publicity photographs. The unidentified images are subdivided by known photographers and
unknown photographers. The known photographers are listed alphabetically, with California photographers heading the list.
Following the Container List is a list of all photographers, a list of the cartes-de-visite, and a list of photographs donated
by the Sabichi family.
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Cartes-de-visite.
Group portraits.
Photographs.
Portraits.
Tintypes.
Access is granted to qualified researchers and by appointment.
All requests for permission to publish photographs must be submitted in writing to the Curator of Photographs. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Huntington as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or
imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
photCL 400 volume 31, HSSC Portrait Collection, circa 1850s-1997 (bulk 1860s-1930s).
Donated by the Historical Society of California, 1992. Includes gifts to HSSC by Clement Gagliano, Gery Gamero/Dean Witter
Reynolds, Estate of Flora B. Houston, Florence M. Kreider, the LaMorie Gift, Gregg Layne, Mrs. J.H. McCarthy, Harry F. Maidenberg,
Mrs. Beatrice Sabichi Mitchell, Kathryn Murdock, Frank Rolfe, Leonora Rowland, Chester Rude, and the Sabichi Family.
Prior to 2006, Huntington volunteers created a preliminary inventory of the collection. In 2006, Sue Luftschein alphabetized
the collection, rehoused the photographs, and created this finding aid based, in part, on the original inventory.