Oakland History Center

Title from back cover. An album of photographs made by Cheney Photo Advertising Co. that show comparative views of Oakland real estate, typically between 1916 and 1925, but with beginning/ending dates ranging from 1916 to 1928. The original album includes testimonials, not included here, from business partners and purchasers of properties from Wickham Havens' firm. Areas depicted : Forest Park, Haddon Hill, Mandana Blvd., Trestle Glen, Wala Vista and Hillside Homes (in Berkeley and Oakland: 270 Alvarado Road, 6124 Buena Vista Avenue, 5610 Golden Gate Avenue, 616 Beacon Street, 94 St. James Drive, 6197 Contra Costa Road and 5600 Estates Drive.) A table of contents is included. Certain images were previously published in "New or greatly enlarged industrial establishments of Oakland and East Bay cities" (Oakland Chamber of Commerce, [1917]).

A small selection of maps from the Oakland History Center's collection, mostly focusing on very early maps of Oakland. These maps were originally digitized as part of the "Selections from the Collections of the Oakland History Center" collection.

The collections of the Oakland History Center document the history of Oakland, Emeryville and Piedmont, Calif. and the metropolitan East Bay area of Northern California. Items from the collections chosen for this project include a selection of photographs originally collected by Hon. Joseph R. Knowland, former publisher of the Oakland Tribune, that include scenic views and depict specific news events, such as the visit of Charles Lindbergh to Oakland, the arrival of Kelly's Army from San Francisco on its cross-country march protesting joblessness in 1914, the earthquake of 1906, visits of presidents William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in 1910, the influenza epidemic of 1917-1918, and various activities of celebrity authors and others, including Jack London, Edwin Markham, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lillie Langtry, Joaquin Miller, et al. Items were chosen from other parts of the larger collection, with images documenting significant achievements in the history of aviation, industrial development and the cultural arts, with specific contributions of portraits of local residents with great historic significance to the state, including Anthony Chabot, Laurentine Hamilton, Lucia and Arthur Mathews, Ina Coolbrith, James Gamble, Cliff Durant, Herman Whitaker, William T. Shorey, J. Ross Browne, et al. Other images were selected to reflect the history of the industrial expansion of the California, most notably through the development of the railroads, the port facilities, the retail trade sector (with stores such as MacMarr Stores, Piggly Wiggly, National Dollar Stores, Money Back Smith's menswear, etc.), manufacturing and food processing (California Cotton Mills, Duchess Sandwiches, etc.) and high technology (Magnavox, etc.), for which Oakland served as a vital hub. In response to preferences solicited from members of the community, images reflecting the richness of Oakland's architecture were chosen, along with historic scenes from its neighborhoods and hills. Some items originally included in this digital collection have been split off into separate collections to make them easier to find and view online. These include the Peralta Family Manuscripts; Oakland maps; Picturesque Oakland, 1889; New or Greatly Enlarged Industrial Establishments of Oakland and East Bay Cities, [1917]; Oakland, Cal. illustrated in photo-gravure from recent negatives, 1892; and Views of real estate subdivisions by Wickham Havens Inc., Oakland [1926]. This collection was selected and created by staff of the Oakland Public Library, led by Steven Lavoie with the technical assistance of Richard Tan, as part of the Local History Digital Research Project, 2005-2006, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. Jean Langmuir and Doug Smith of the Oakland Public Library supplied administrative support throughout the project.

Documents pertaining to the Peralta family's Spanish- and Mexican-era land grants and their subsequent adjudication in United States courts.

An album of photographs depicting new and expanded industries in Oakland and the East Bay, as well as real estate offerings of Wickham Havens, Inc. in the same area.

An album entitled "Picturesque Oakland. 1889." Pages in the album are primarily photogravures produced from photographs by W. S. Jones, depicting Oakland buildings and streets, with some landscape, waterfront and Lake Merritt views. Includes an introductory essay and poem by Joaquin Miller.

Images from an 1892 album of photogravures reproducing photographs by Adolph Witteman depicting municipal, commercial (chiefly hotels) and religious buildings (chiefly churches) in Oakland, with some street scenes, views of boating, bird's-eye views and educational institutions. Pages contain either one or two photographs, with captions.

This collection includes photographs related to food and drink in Oakland, California, including local restaurants, bars, grocery stores, canneries and factories, dairies, and more. Researchers may find additional images relating to food and drink in pre-existing collections like "Oakland Stores," "Oakland Districts," and "Oakland Industries."

Oakland Feather River Camp was founded in 1924. The Oakland Recreation Department operated three camps on the land near Quincy, CA: a family camp, Kamp Kidd for boys, and Camp Sierra for girls. Most of the images in this collection date from the late 1930s and early 1940s. About half are from a single photo album by Mel Jensen, who attended Kamp Kidd during those years.

Oakland's Main Library was at the corner of 14th and Grove Streets (now 14th and Martin Luther King Jr. Way) from 1902-1950. It housed the city's largest circulating collection and special collections like sheet music and volumes of local history collected in the California Room. The building also served as headquarters for management of branch libraries throughout the city and (briefly) throughout Alameda County. This building served as the city's Main Library until a new Main opened at 125 14th Street in 1951. From 1951-1971 it served as the Charles S. Greene Branch, and was then converted into administrative offices. The building closed after damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. It was retrofitted to preserve its original style, and was reopened as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) in 2002. The American Beaux-Arts style building was designed by architects Bliss and Faville, with interior murals by artists Marion Holden-Pope and Arthur Mathews. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Main Library was one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed in the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.

The 23rd Avenue Branch Library's Carnegie building opened in 1918. The Spanish Colonial Revival style building was designed by architects Charles W. Dickey and John J. Donovan, and constructed by builders Nielsen & Bertelsen. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building served as a branch library until 1976. Colloquially known as the Miller Avenue Branch, it was officially renamed the Ina D. Coolbrith Branch in 1968 and repurposed as the Latin American Library in 1972. The building was used as a school and for other non-library purposes before it was completely vacated in the early 1990s. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The 23rd Avenue Branch was one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened.

The Alden Branch Library opened at 5205 Telegraph Avenue in 1918. It was renamed the Temescal Branch in 1949. The Tudor Revival style building was designed by architects Charles W. Dickey and John J. Donovan and constructed by builder R.W. Littlefield. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Temescal Branch is one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.

The Golden Gate Branch Library opened at 5606 San Pablo Avenue in 1918. The Georgian Revival style building was designed by architects Charles W. Dickey and John J. Donovan and constructed by builder R.W. Littlefield. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Golden Gate Branch is one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. I n 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.

The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The Classical Revival style building was designed by architect William H. Weeks and constructed by builder C. Chistensen. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Melrose Branch is one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. This building served as the city's Main Library until a new Main opened at 125 14th Street in 1951. From 1951-1989 it served as the Charles S. Greene Branch, but was closed because of damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. The building was retrofitted and reopened as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) in 2002. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). Construction began first on the Melrose Branch, as a site was secured rapidly, and the library opened in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.

These photographs show the construction of Peralta Villa, a low income housing project located in West Oakland, California between Cypress, Union, 8th, and 12th Streets. It was constructed by the Oakland Housing Authority between 1940-1942 after existing structures were razed. Many of the photographs in this collection show the same vantage points at different dates throughout the construction process, providing a time lapse of the neighborhood before, during, and after construction.

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