Henry, H. O. Original Autograph Letter Signed by one H. O. Henry from Sacramento, Talking about Selling Lots, Conditions of Sacramento Including High Water Levels After the Flooding in January and Mentioning the Re-Election of former Sacramento Mayor James Richmond Hardenburg and the Loss of Steamers Independence, S.S. Lewis, and Tennessee. Sacramento, 20 April 1853.
Thompson, William A. (1824-1857). An Interesting Content-Rich Original Autograph Letter Signed by a Sacramento Attorney, William A. Thompson, Addressed to His Mentor and Former Superior, Judge Hon. R.C. Hurd, Talking about Thompson’s Law Practice, Engagement in Land Title Cases, Anticipated Dissolution of the Sutter Land Title, Completion of Sacramento’s Second Courthouse, Local Climate and His Meeting with the Addressee’s Relative, J.W. Hurd, Who Resided in “Gun Valley, El Dorado County”. Sacramento, 30 April 1855.
Taber, Isaiah West (1830-1912); Baker, Walter T. & Cathcart, Walter, & others. Album with Nineteen Early Original Albumen Photographs from the Collection of Samuel Parsons - a San Francisco Resident and Employee of a Local Wall Paper Dealer “George W. Clark & Co,” Including a Series of Parson’s Portraits, Views of His Residences and a Street of San Francisco, the Storefront of “George W. Clark & Co” on Market Street with Staff Members, Most likely Including Parsons, Scenes from an Outing in the Redwood Forest, &c.; with a Later Gelatin Silver Portrait of a Young Girl at the Rear. Ca. 1880s.
Original Autograph Manuscript Letter Signed by One “Claude” in San Francisco and Addressed to “Dear Uncle,” Talking about Being Depressed over Her Brother’s Failing Health and Sharing News about Financial & Family Matters. San Francisco: 26 December 1885.
Church, Edward W. (ca. 1814-1861). Original Autograph Letter Signed by San Francisco Banker Edward W. Church to His Friend in New York, Talking about the Health of His Child, Visiting New York, and Recent Weather and Earthquakes in San Francisco. San Francisco, 28 February & 20 March 1856.
Gray, Thomas, Colonel (1802-1892). Autograph Letter Signed by Colonel Thomas Gray, One of the First Ferry Operators in San Francisco Bay, to California State Senator Charles Fayette Lott of Butte County, Asking for the Amendment of California Ferry Laws. San Francisco, 2 March 1853.
Garrison, John G. Interesting and Lively Autograph Letter from San Francisco, Written by one John G. Garrison, Talking About His Stay at the International Hotel, His Visit to Lone Mountain Cemetery Where He Saw the Ocean “For the First Time For Eight Years,” Goods He Ordered from J. H. Coghill & Co., etc., With Many Spelling Errors. San Francisco, 8 March 1862.
Beckmann, Conrad. Interesting Autograph Letter Signed by San Francisco Grocer Conrad Beckmann, Talking About a Steamer With a Limit of 400 Illegally Carrying 1300 Passengers to “the New Diggings” (Likely Gold) and Grocer Business, etc. San Francisco, 17 February 1862.
Chan, Eva Fong (1897-1991). Archive of Fifteen Ink Drawings and Watercolors, Showing Artist At Work, Landscapes Of Places In Her Local Bay Area, Color Wheels, Drawings Of Clothing, Including The Study of Native American Cradleboard, Textile Designs etc., All Signed. [San Francisco Bay Area], ca 1930s.
Mohr, Ethna (ca. 1904-1972); Schimmel, Gerard (ca. 1895-1981). Historically Important Album of Ninety-One Gelatin Silver Photographs (Including One Real Photo Postcard) Taken and Collected by Dutch Emigrants in California, Showing Scenes of the Dutch Diaspora St. Nicholas Eve Celebration, a Marching Parade on Market St. with Period Storefronts (Benatar’s Cut-Rate Drugs, Feltman & Curme, and Chas. Brown & Sons), and Daily Life of Middle-Class Dutch Americans in the late-1930s; Supplemented by a 1940 “A Night in Holland” Fundraising Flyer, a November 1940 Holland-American Chamber of Commerce Newsletter, and Seven Period Newspaper Clippings. Ca. 1935-1940.
Historically Important Album with 227 Gelatin Silver Photos of California, Showing the Former Lumber Hub of Fort Bragg, the Newton J. Tharp Commercial School (1908–1952) in San Francisco, the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the Second Grammar School in Dixon, Panama Pacific International Exhibition, etc.; also, with Rare Photos of the Standard Oil Co. Explosion in Riverside and Pioneering Automobile Race & Airplane Flight in San Bruno. Ca. 1908-1915.
Patterson, William S. Interesting Autograph Letter Written by a New Orleans Resident upon His Arrival to San Francisco in December 1855, Talking about His Sea Voyage from the Isthmus of Panama with the Family of the Former Governor of Mississippi Henry Foote, Breakup with His Bride and “Lamentable Misunderstanding of Female Character,” and a Visit to “Dr. Scott’s Church” (Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco), “Where I Saw the Largest & Finest Looking Audience I Ever Saw in Any Presbyterian Church in America”. San Francisco, 17 December 1855.
Payne, George E. Original Autograph Letter Signed by a San Francisco Merchant George E. Payne to His New York Partner (Most Likely, a Member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of New York, Charles P. Leverich), Talking about Early California Gold Rush Trade to San Francisco, the Voyage of the Barque Madonna, Cargo Prices, and the Sale of the Bark Hannah Sprague. San Francisco, 20 February 1850.
JAYNE, G. (ca. 1845-1870). Historically Important Collection of Two Autograph Letters by George Edwin Jayne, an Early California Resident, Addressed to His Relatives “Lottie” and “Sam” in New York, Describing the City’s Ongoing Renovation, the Cheapest Place to Live in San Francisco, the Popular Living Arrangements for Residents, Clerking Job Shortages, Dining Prices, etc.; also Mentioning the Lost Landmarks of Mercantile Library & Oriental Hotel and Comparing the Width of Kearny Street with Broadway. San Francisco: 10 September 1868.
Historically Significant Collection of Two Original Autograph Letters Signed, With an Eyewitness Account of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Compiled Hours and Days After the Event, and Mentioning “The Whole Town is Burning Up and There is No Water,” a Side of Van Ness Avenue Being “Burned Clear to the Water Front,” and Being “Broke” After Buying “All the Bread [They] Could Find the Morning of the Quake”. San Francisco, 17 & 21 April 1906.
[Browning, Frank Elisha] (1866-1917). Historically Significant Album with ca. 189 Original Gelatin Silver Photographs from the Estate of Alameda’ First City Clerk Frank E. Browning, Showing Alameda Officials, Destruction of San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake, a Military Parade San Francisco, a Service of a “Masonic lodge, Hopi Point, Grand Canyon – 1913,” Browning, his Family and Friends during Car Trips around California and Arizona, Group Portraits from a Gathering in Truckee, &c.; With 10 Printed Postcards Showing the Exterior and Interior of the Elks’ Club in Alameda. Ca. 1900s - 1910s.
Collection of Thirty-Eight Original Gelatin Silver Photos of California, Taken during a Honeymoon Trip by a Pharmacist from Orange City (Ca), Showing Los Angeles and its Environs (San Juan Capistrano Chapel, the County Jail, the Court House in Santa Ana; the Port of San Pedro; Busch’s Gardens in Pasadena, a Powerhouse & Mountain Cabin in San Gabriel Canyon, a Steamer Entering Avalon, etc.), the Former Mining Town of Placerville (Train Passing through the Tehachapi Loop & Early Logging Operations), Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Mission & Santa Ynez Valley), San Diego (Horticultural Building & Children’s Swimming Pool), etc. Ca. 1913.
A Historically Important Original Autograph Manuscript Letter Written by a Southern Pacific Railway Employee to the President of D. O. Mills & Co.’s Bank and One of the Wealthiest Ranchers in Colusa County Edgar Mills, Urging Him to Sign the Right of Way through His Lands as Soon as Possible as This Is “The Only Portion Which Has Not Already Been Obtained” for the Construction of the Now-Defunct West Side & Mendocino R. R., One of the First Railways in Colusa County. San Francisco, Cal., 10 November 1886.
Youngs, Samuel (Ca. 1815 - ?). Original Autograph Letter Signed by a California Democrat Samuel Young to James Denver, a Democratic Congressman from CA, Sharing News on State Politics and Speculating about Candidates for the Upcoming California State Senate Elections; with Mentions of Henry Foote, Henry Crabb, David Douglass, Edward Marshall, Gov. Bigler, etc. Sacramento, California: 30 January 1856.
Wood, A (Ca. 1812-1890). A Historically Interesting Original Autograph Letter by One of the Earliest Masons in California and the Founder of Lassen Commandery No. 13 of the Knights Templar at Susanville, Gen. Allen Wood, Informing a Sir Knight from Plumas County and a Pioneer California Lawyer about the “Cold Blooded Affair” of One of the Earliest Murders Investigated in Lassen County, Mentioning “A Considerable Feeling” Among the Inhabitants about the Prisoner’s Expected Arrival in Susanville, and Discussing the Commandery’s Decision to “Indefinitely Postpone” the Celebration of Ascension Day. Susanville [Lassen County], 20 April 1880.
Hughes, W. G. (ca. 1909-2003). Historically Significant Album with 149 Original Gelatin Silver Photographs Taken and Collected by the California-Based Hughes Family, Featuring U.S. Tennis Players Helen Wills, Anna Harper, Gerald Stratford, and Dolf Muehleisen during Various California Tournaments; the Filming of Buster Keaton’s Day Dreams; One of the Earliest Local Kid’s Day Celebrations; Businessman Owen D. Young Delivering the Charter Day Address; the “First Cadillac” of 1923; the Regular Engine between Truckee and Tahoe, etc.; titled: “Photographs.” Ca. 1910s-1930s.
Stroud, Robert (1890-1963). Historically Interesting Original Autograph Manuscript Letter Written by Robert Stroud, the Lonely “Birdman of Alcatraz,” During His Solitary Confinement, Addressed to His Long-time Friend and Fellow Bird-lover Fred E. Daw in Florida, Confessing To Suffering From an Unresolved Oedipus Complex, Revealing His Early Attempt To Assassinate His Father, and Explicitly Tracing His First Sexual Experiences From the Age of Five to Eleven; Also Including Never-before-Shared Excerpts From His Prohibited Multi-volume Autobiography, Eagerly Calculating Approximate Incomes From His Forthcoming Biopic, Challenging Darwin’s Theory on the Limited Olfactory Capability of Birds, and Recommending Effective Sulfa Medicine Usage for Birds. Alcatraz Prison, California: 24 May 1949.
Gillespie, Edgar D (ca. 1822-1875). Historically Interesting Original Letter by One of the Earliest Residents of Suisun Valley, California, Talking about his Pioneering Farming Activities, the Scarce Demand for Hay in Sacramento City, and the High Cost of Ropes Reducing Profits. Mountain Valley Upper Suisun, California: 25 May 1852.
Reconnaissance of the Western Coast of the United States From San Francisco to San Diego by the Hydrographic Party under the command of Lieut. James Alden U.S.N. Assistant / J. # 9. U.S. Coast Survey. A.D. Bache Superintendent. [Washington DC]: 1852.
[Stephens, George John Frederick] (1873-1966). Historically Significant Extensive Archive of an Early Klondike Gold Miner and Enthusiast Photographer, George Stephens; the Archive includes Over 220 Original Gelatin Silver Photos and Twenty-Six Amateur Real Photo Postcards, Showing the Site, Premises and Operations on the No. 11 Mining Camp on Eureka Creek (where Stephens was a Partner), His Business Partner and Klondike Pioneer Charles Fraser Hill and Fellow Miners (Martin Pekoe, John Martin, Geo. A. Philbrook, Albert McDonald, Ove Knudsen, Jonas Smith, Gus Wikstrom, Edward Lund and Many Others); Other Mining Camps in the Klondike Goldfields and Surrounding Scenery, Klondike Mines Railway, Dawson City, the Town of Grand Forks (Demolished in 1921), Indian River Bridge, Fishing and Hunting Scenes, &c.; With Two Business Cards of Charles Hill, Period Newspaper Clippings and Ephemera. Ca. 1900s. – early 1920s.
A Historically Interesting Original Autograph Letter by California’s Pioneer Real Estate Firm Bovee, Toy & Co, Offering a Lumber Dealer from Massachusetts “A Certain Timber Redwood Property” Amid Public Outcry Over the Excessive Logging of the Now-Endangered Redwoods. San Francisco: June 10, 1887.
White, [Thomas?]. Interesting Autograph Letter Written by a Northern California Pioneer to His Friend, Charles Delorimier, Living in Linda, Yuba County and Talking about the House in Their Mutual Possession, the Author’s Sea Voyage back to the East Coast and Mentioning Several Yuba County Residents - “Joe Carrick,” “Becker” and the “Muggins.”. At sea, March 21, 1853.
Adkison, Lewis D. (1816-1903). Original Autograph Letter Signed by the Owner of the General Store in Oak Valley Lewis D. Adkison, Addressed to George R. Bearss from his Hometown of Peru (IN), Talking about the Latest News from the Oak Valley, His Sympathies to the Republican Party, and the Results of the California General Election and the US Presidential Election of 1856. Oak Valley [Yuba Co.]: 14 November 1856.
An Interesting Early Letter from a Resident of Osceola (Mo.) to His Father, Discussing Local and Family News, as Well as Efforts and Expenses of Former Local Resident and then California Gold Seeker and Politician, Captain William Waldo during His Operations to Help Starving Gold Prospectors in California. Oseola [Ocseola], Mo, 16 March 1851.
Historically Interesting Album of Sixty-Two Original Photographs (Including Five Large-Size Panoramas) Taken by an American Tourist during an Early Cruise through the Caribbean, Mostly Showing Local Landmarks and Street Scenes from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, Trinidad, and Panama; also, with Five Color Printed Postcards, Two Printed Ephemera, and a 1912 Photo of the Pier 54 – the Arrival Point for the Titanic Survivors; titled: Photographs. Ca. 1912.
Iserts, Paul Erdmann. Bref Om Guinea Kusten Och Caribiske Oarn. [Letters on Danish Guinea and the Caribbean Islands]. Stockholm: Johan A. Carlbohm, 1795.
Elegant Grisaille Watercolour Showing Columbus Landing in America with the Explorer Encouraging his Party to go Forward, and a Group of Native Americans and a Spanish Ship in the Background. Early 19th century.
Turner, Captain Henry A. Royal Artillery (Active 1849-1853). Two Watercolour Panoramas each on four Joined Sheets Titled: "St. Georges, Grenada from Hospital Hill," & "View of the Harbour, St. Georges, Grenada, from Belmont Hill." Dated on verso 1852.
Hanway, Jonas, Sir, 1st baronet (1712-1786). Victualling Board Document Signed by Jonas Hanway, Joah Bates and John Slade, ordering a payment to William Wilkinson, owner of the Three Sisters Victualler, which had been chartered 27 December 1779 ‘to carry Provisions for the use of His Majesty’s Ships on the West Indies’. London: Victualling Office, 15 November 1780.
Chandler, Charles (ca. 1928-2001); Chandler, Edwin (ca. 1898-1973). Album with Thirty-Nine Original Photographs Collected by an 11-Year-Old Camper at YMCA Camp Fox on Catalina Island, Capturing Early Views, Daily Activities and Portraits of Campers Just Before WWII. Ca. 1938-1949.
Collection of 22 Gelatin Silver Photographs of Costa Rica, Illustrating American Naval Sailors’ Shore Leave in the 1920s, and Showing Puntarenas (“Liberty Landing and Welcome Crowd,” Advertising Board of Film Showings), San Jose (“Admiral McLean and City Officials,” Costa Rican Police Officers with “American Patrol,” Bellavista Fortress, Iglesia de la Merced, “Native Ice Cream Vendor”), Pacific Railroad, etc. Ca. 1920s.
Collection of 25 Gelatin Silver Photographs of El Salvador, Illustrating American Naval Sailors’ Shore Leave in the 1920s, and Showing La Union (“Liberty Landing,” Church), San Miguel (Train Station), San Salvador (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Plaza Gerardo Barrios, “Orphans” Walking to School, Street Scenes), etc. Ca. 1920s.
[Ezra, Alfred] (1872-1955). Album with 78 Original Gelatin Silver Photographs of Mostly Central Asia, Taken During an Overland Travel from India to England and Showing Srinagar (Khanqah-e-Moula Mosque, Hindu Raghunath Temple, Sher Garhi Palace), Kashgar (Afaq Khoja Mausoleum), Fort Verny (Almaty), Pamir Mountains, Scenes of the Party Crossing Mountains and Rivers, Portraits of Central Asian Tribesmen, a Chinese Elder, Criminals with Their Heads Locked in Pillories, Street and Market Scenes, &c. Ca. 1904.
Ehrmann, Theophil Friedrich (1762-1811). Beitraege zur Laender und Staadenkunde der Tartarei. Aus Russischen Berichten. Mit Einer Einleitung. Nebst Einer Neuberichtigten Charte von dem Kirgisenlande [Contributions to the Geographical Information about Tartary. From Russian reports. With a Corrected Map of the Lands of Kirghizes]. Weimar: F.G. Privil. Landes Industrie Comptoirs, 1804.
Przhevalsky, Nikolay Mikhailovich (1839-1888). Tretye Puteshestviye v Tsentralnoi Azii Iz Zaysana cherez Khami v Tibet i na Verknovya Zheltoy Reki [Third Travel in Central Asia from Zaysan through Hami to Tibet and the Upper Reaches of the Yellow River/ Edition of the Russian Geographical Society]. Saint Petersburg: Typ. of V.S. Balashev, 1883.
[Panov, Ivan Nikolayevch] & Others. Collection of Thirty-Eight Original Gelatin Silver Photographs of Soviet Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Showing Ashgabat before the 1948 Earthquake, the Ruins of Merv, Tashkent, Andijan, Bukhara, Przhevalsk, Koisara Resort on Lake Issyk-Kul, Portraits of Local Carpet Sellers, Families, Baloch People, &c. Ca. 1928-1930 (with several later imprints, possibly made in the 1950s).
Kotsiris, Andreas (? - 1935). Historically Interesting Original Letter Written by a Greek Chicago Shop Owner to His Brother in Greece, Discussing Business Matters. Chicago: ca. 6 October 1918.