Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- The collection consists of a wide range of ephemera pertaining to the state of California and each of its constituent counties, excluding the City and County of San Francisco. Dating from 1841 to 2001, the collection includes ephemera created by or related to churches; civic associations and activist groups; clubs and societies, especially fraternal organizations; labor unions; auditoriums and theaters; historic buildings, landmarks, and museums; hotels and resorts; festivals and fairs; sporting events; hospitals, sanatoriums, prisons, and orphanages; schools, colleges, and universities; government agencies; elections, ballot measures, and political parties; infrastructure and transit systems; geographic features; and other subjects. Types of ephemera include: advertisements; brochures; folders; programs; leaflets; pamphlets; announcements; guides; maps; tickets; invitations; newsletters; constitutions and bylaws; surveys and reports; directories and listings; fliers; badges and ribbons; ballots; dance cards; invitations; catalogues; report cards and syllabi; journals and journal articles; and newspaper clippings.
- Extent:
- 140.0 boxes (68 linear feet)
- Language:
- Collection materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], California Ephemera Collection, California Historical Society.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection consists of a wide range of ephemera pertaining to the state of California and each of its constituent counties, excluding the City and County of San Francisco. (San Francisco ephemera may be found in the San Francisco Ephemera Collection.) Dating from 1841 to 2001, the collection includes ephemera created by or related to churches; civic associations and activist groups; clubs and societies, especially fraternal organizations; labor unions; auditoriums and theaters; historic buildings, landmarks, and museums; hotels and resorts; festivals and fairs; sporting events; hospitals, sanatoriums, prisons, and orphanages; schools, colleges, and universities; government agencies; elections, ballot measures, and political parties; infrastructure and transit systems; geographic features; and other subjects.
Series 1 (General subjects) consists of ephemeral items that pertain to general subjects (e.g., Air pollution, Portuguese, and Thanksgiving); features located in more than one county (e.g., Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, San Andreas Fault, and Tuolumme River); statewide, regional, and national clubs and associations (e.g., American Protective Tariff League, California Jockey Club, and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee); and organizations or bodies with multi-county, state, or national jurisdictions (e.g., Bay Area Rapid Transit, California State Archives, and United Farm Workers). Extensive ephemera files for California elections, labor unions, national forests and parks, and the University of California, including the Big Game, may be found in this series.
Series 2 (Counties) consists of ephemeral items that document the social, cultural, educational, religious, economic, and political life of California counties, cities, and towns, from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth century. Ephemera files for Alameda County (especially Berkeley and Oakland), Los Angeles County, Marin County, Monterey County, Santa Clara County (especially Stanford University), and Sonoma County are particularly extensive.
The types of ephemera represented in the collection include: advertisements; brochures; folders; programs; leaflets; pamphlets; announcements; guides; maps; tickets; invitations; newsletters; constitutions and bylaws; surveys and reports; directories and listings; fliers; badges and ribbons; ballots; dance cards; invitations; catalogues; report cards and syllabi; journals and journal articles; and newspaper clippings.
- Processing information:
-
Re-processed by California Historical Society staff in 2010-2011.
- Arrangement:
-
Collection is arranged in two series: 1) General subjects; and 2) Counties.
Files in series 1 (General subjects) are arranged alphabetically by the name of the organization, thing, event, place, or topic represented. Files are not nested under topical headings, with the following exceptions: individual labor unions are arranged in alphabetical order under the heading "Labor unions"; and individual national parks and forests are arranged in alphabetical order under the heading "National parks and forests."
Files in series 2 (Counties) are arranged alphabetically by county. Within each county, files are arranged alphabetically by place (e.g., Oakland) or topical heading. Headings include: Art galleries, Auditoriums and theaters, Churches, Clubs and societies, Festivals and fairs, Historic buildings, Hospitals, Hotels and resorts, Missions, Museums, Parks, and Schools.
- Accruals:
-
Additions to the collection are ongoing.
- Physical location:
- Collection is stored onsite.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
California Historical Society collections have been transferred to Stanford University Libraries. Collections will be unavailable as Stanford accessions them and updates records. Please contact chscollection@stanford.edu with any inquiries.
- Terms of access:
-
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of Library and Archives, North Baker Research Library, California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Consent is given on behalf of the California Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], California Ephemera Collection, California Historical Society.
- Location of this collection:
-
Department of Special Collections, Green Library557 Escondido MallStanford, CA 94305-6004, US
- Contact:
- (650) 725-1022