Maps & Photographs

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Aerial Photography

The aerial collection includes oblique and flyover aerials.

About the Collection These photographs cover central Santa Clara County from Alviso south to Los Gatos, east to the Calero Reservoir, north to Milpitas and the Alameda County Line, and west along the bay to Alviso. The collection includes oblique aerial photographs from the City of San Jose Planning Division, and five sets of vertical images by Fairchild Aerial Photography and the U.S. Geological Survey covering the years 1931, 1948, 1960, 1968, and 1981. More aerial photography is available from History San Jose and UC Santa Barbara. The Digital Collection The digital collection currently includes a representative selection of the aerial photographs from the California Room. New images are added to the collection as they are digitized. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

Photographs

The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 historical images focused on San Jose and Santa Clara County.

About the Collection The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 contact prints, negatives, transparencies, and 35mm slides comprising diverse subjects including schools, churches, businesses, parades, valley views, theaters, street scenes, hotels, the 1906 earthquake, the Winchester House, and residents. Clyde Arbuckle The majority of the images come from two photographic collections within the California Room. The first is a general collection acquired through various donors . The second is the Clyde Arbuckle Research Collection, purchased from the heirs City Historian, Clyde Arbuckle after his death in 1998. The bulk of the Historic Photograph Collection focuses on the history of the Bay Area, particularly San José and the Santa Clara Valley from 1870 - 1970s. The Digital Collection The digital collection currently includes a representative selection of historic photographs from the California Room. New images are added as they are digitized. Do you recognize a person, place or thing in the photographs that has not been identified in the description? If you have information about any of the images in the collection, or seek information about using these images, please contact the California Room.

Maps & Photographs

Aerial Photography

The aerial collection includes oblique and flyover aerials.

About the Collection These photographs cover central Santa Clara County from Alviso south to Los Gatos, east to the Calero Reservoir, north to Milpitas and the Alameda County Line, and west along the bay to Alviso. The collection includes oblique aerial photographs from the City of San Jose Planning Division, and five sets of vertical images by Fairchild Aerial Photography and the U.S. Geological Survey covering the years 1931, 1948, 1960, 1968, and 1981. More aerial photography is available from History San Jose and UC Santa Barbara. The Digital Collection The digital collection currently includes a representative selection of the aerial photographs from the California Room. New images are added to the collection as they are digitized. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

Map and Atlas Collection

This collection includes over 1,000 maps of various kinds from the 1860s - 1980s for San Jose, Santa Clara County and other areas throughout California.

About the Collection This collection comprises over 1,000 maps from the 1860s - 1980s, including Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, geological surveys, street maps, planning and land use maps for San Jose, Santa Clara County and other cities and counties throughout California. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for 1932, 1939, 1950, 1958, and 1962 (some years also available on microfilm). These maps show in great detail lots, houses, and businesses located in central San José. Some years are digitally available:  City of San José Block Books from 1909, and 1924 multi volume set updated to the 1940s. These maps show the boundaries of all the lots in the City of San Jose along with the names of the property owners. A copy of the 1909 City Block Book as well as a 1924 multi volume set updated to the 1940s are available on site in the California Room. History San Jose has San Jose Block Books circa 1925-1965. Digital block books are available for 1871 and 1882-1886 1876 Historical Atlas of Santa Clara County: The first comprehensive atlas of Santa Clara County, this resource gives the names of large property owners in the area. This atlas is available on site in the California Room and digitally. City, street, state, county, and subdivision maps: The California Room has a large collection of old maps for San José and Santa Clara County. While these maps may not show structures or land owners, they can help locate streets whose names have changed or streets which no longer exist. Maps can be searched using the California Room Index and in our Digital Collections Brainard Atlas of Santa Clara County: This is a very useful series of maps published in the mid to late 1880s. Unlike other maps, this atlas shows only the agricultural, nonurban areas of Santa Clara County. As well as showing property owners, it often gives a brief description about each property explaining what was being grown there.

Photographs

The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 historical images focused on San Jose and Santa Clara County.

About the Collection The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 contact prints, negatives, transparencies, and 35mm slides comprising diverse subjects including schools, churches, businesses, parades, valley views, theaters, street scenes, hotels, the 1906 earthquake, the Winchester House, and residents. Clyde Arbuckle The majority of the images come from two photographic collections within the California Room. The first is a general collection acquired through various donors . The second is the Clyde Arbuckle Research Collection, purchased from the heirs City Historian, Clyde Arbuckle after his death in 1998. The bulk of the Historic Photograph Collection focuses on the history of the Bay Area, particularly San José and the Santa Clara Valley from 1870 - 1970s. The Digital Collection The digital collection currently includes a representative selection of historic photographs from the California Room. New images are added as they are digitized. Do you recognize a person, place or thing in the photographs that has not been identified in the description? If you have information about any of the images in the collection, or seek information about using these images, please contact the California Room.

San José Redevelopment Agency Photograph Collection

This collection includes research materials and photographs from sundry projects undertaken by the San José Redevelopment Agency (SJRA).

About the Collection The SJRA was a government agency created in 1956 to improve the quality of life by creating jobs, affordable housing, neighborhood cohesion, and better public facilities. With the San José City Council serving as its governing body, the Redevelopment Agency partnered with businesses and community organizations to revitalize San José’s economy. The SJRA was one of the largest tax increment producing redevelopment agencies in California. It was active in twenty-one project areas which together represented approximately sixteen percent of the city's area and providing approximately thirty-three percent of the city’s jobs. Effective February 1, 2012, all redevelopment agencies in California were dissolved pursuant to AB 1X 26. Do you recognize someone in a photograph? Do you know about one of the locations? Can you identify a piece of equipment? If you have information that you would like to share about any of the images in the Redevelopment Agency Collection, or questions about using images from this collection, please contact the California Room.

A-Z Collections Index