Oakland History Center

Photos of Temescal, Golden Gate, and Melrose Branches; AAMLO, which served as our Main Library from 1902-1950; and the former 23rd Ave Branch.

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.

Photographs of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, including many taken during construction.

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.

These photographs show the construction of Campbell Village, a low income housing project located in West Oakland, California between Campbell, Willow, 8th, and 10th Streets. It was constructed by the Oakland Housing Authority between 1940-1941 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.

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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