Newly Processed Collections for the Spring Term

Special Collections is pleased to announce that we have fifteen newly processed collections, open for research for the Spring 2011 semester! We'll be featuring them in groups here on New and Notable for the next few weeks.

First to appear here is a group of collections documenting San Diego local history, including the James B. Pearce Papers, the San Diego Center for Children Photograph Collection, and the San Diego Public Information Office Records.  The Pearce and San Diego Center for Children collections were processed by department staff, while the San Diego IPO Records were processed by an undergraduate intern from the History Department.

James B. Pearce Papers, 1924-1963 (MS-0182)

James Pearce was born in Minnesota in 1896.  He moved to Lemon Grove in 1923 with his family.  When Pearce's father passed away in 1927, he took over the family real estate business, which specialized in the sale of ranches.  Pearce also served as a member of the Lemon Grove Chamber of Commerce.  The James B. Pearce Papers (1924-1963) primarily document the advertising activities and real estate listings of Pearce's real estate company, H. Pearce "Ranches Only."  Of particular interest is the first issue of the Lemon Grove Empire (1928), a rare newspaper about the area's agricultural activities, and scrapbook of Pearce's real estate listings.

San Diego Center for Children Photograph Collection, ca. 1920s and 1930s (MS-0451)

The San Diego Center for Children is San Diego's oldest accredited nonprofit organization serving children and adolescents.  During the first half of the 20th century, the Women and Children's Home was located in Balboa Park, in a building designed by architect Irving Gill.  This small collection consists of sixteen photographic negatives of the San Diego Center for Children.  Photos of the interior and exterior of the Balboa Park building, designed by Irving Gill, are included, as well as photographs of children and their adult caretakers.  The images date from the late 1920s or 1930s.

San Diego Public Information Office Records, 1971-1978 (MS-0450)

In 1970, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors established the San Diego Public Information Office (IPO) which was developed into a public relations firm under the Chief Administrative Office and charged with creating a communications program for San Diego County government.  The San Diego and the daily responsibilities of the Public Information Office (PIO) in the county.  The Collection consists of community liaising program files, correspondence, memorandums, financial reports, and purchase orders documenting the management and daily repsonsibilities of the PIO.

(Above image is from a scrapbook which is part of the James B. Pearce Papers.)