The collection consists of 21 photograph albums containing more than 6000 photographic prints, postcards, and ephemeral items collected by James Duval Phelan between the years 1902 and 1929. The albums, numbered 82 through 102, were originally part of Phelan's papers. Volumes 1-81 remain with his papers (BANC MSS C-B 800).

James Duval Phelan was born in San Francisco, April 20, 1861, and was intimately associated throughout the greater part of his life with the political, business and cultural history of the city. His father, James Phelan, was an Irish immigrant who came to California in the gold rush and made a fortune in trade, banking, insurance, and real estate. Young Phelan attended San Francisco schools, was graduated from St. Ignatius College in 1881 and studied law at the University of California. After graduation he traveled abroad for a year and a half, studying municipal governments and writing articles on his observations for various magazines and San Francisco newspapers. Influenced by his father, he gave up his early aspirations to become a lawyer or a writer and turned to a business career, first as his father's partner, and then, in 1892, as his successor in the banking business and as manager of the considerable estate which he had inherited.

21 albums (ca. 6000 photographic prints, postcards, and ephemeral souvenirs); various sizes 1329 digital objects

Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish photographs must be submitted in writing to the Curator of Pictorial Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library 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 by the reader.

Collection stored off-site. Advance notice required for use.