Founded in 1953, the
Center for Sacramento History (CSH) is funded by the City and the
County of Sacramento and is the repository and research center for
City and County historic collections. These collections are held in
the public trust and reflect the many aspects of the social,
economic, political, geographic, and cultural history of the
Sacramento region.
Museum Collections
CSH holds in trust some
30,000 three-dimensional museum artifacts which include household
items, furniture, toys, quilts, and textiles and accessories. The
working life of Sacramentans, from miners and farmers to artists,
merchants and clerks, is represented in farming tools, office
equipment, dredging machinery, photography equipment, and works of
art. The Center’s museum artifacts are exhibited at community
sites, such as Sacramento City Hall, Sacramento Public Library, and
the Sacramento International Airport, as well as at the Sacramento
History Museum.
Archival Collections –
Public Documents
CSH’s public documents
date from 1849 and provide users with the most complete set of local
public documents of any archives in California. By statute of both
the City and County of Sacramento, the Center is the official
repository for public documents of enduring value created by city and
county government, as well as the Superior Court of Sacramento
County. The documents are transferred to the Center on an ongoing
basis under city and county records retention schedules. These
records include maps, court case files, minutes, permits, contracts,
correspondence, and reports, amongst numerous other documents.
Archival Collections –
Manuscripts and Personal Papers
The Center actively
collects manuscripts and personal papers of individuals, families,
businesses, organizations, and community groups that illustrate the
diverse and dynamic history of the Sacramento region. These
collections provide unique and vital insights into the past and work
in conjunction with the public documents to offer broader details
about the region.
Photographs and Moving
Images
Impressive in both size
and scope, the photographic collections at the Center amount to more
than five million images and include a variety of photographic types
and processes. The wide array of historic images, range from the
earliest known daguerreotype of Sacramento to contemporary views that
capture the development of the Sacramento region and the individuals
and groups who have populated the area.
CSH houses a large
collection of moving images in film, video, and digital formats. The
largest portion comes from KCRA, the Sacramento NBC affiliate, with
over nine million feet of news film from 1958 to 1982. The
collection covers the day-to-day news stories – politics, crime,
local events, sports, and human interest stories – occurring in
northern California and the Sacramento region, as well as political
figures like Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Robert F. Kennedy, Cesar
Chavez, and the Black Panthers.
Catalog
CSH’s online database
provides access to over 60,000 entries, including over 50,000 images.
The online catalog allows patrons to place reproduction orders, leave
feedback for CSH staff, and send search results directly to any email
address.
Note that not all of
CSH’s holdings are searchable via this online catalog. Please
contact CSH Staff if you are unable to find what you are searching
for.
Research
CSH is open for research
by appointment only. Please call (916) 808-7072 to speak with an
archivist about scheduling an appointment to conduct your research
during available times. It is advisable to call at least one week in
advance for an appointment as there are limited spaces in the reading
room.
The Center does not
charge fees for on-site users to conduct research; however it does
charge for reproduction services and rights. CSH staff is on hand to
assist researchers in the use of the materials during their
appointment time. Please notify CSH beforehand if special
accommodations are needed during your visit.
Store
The Center offers
reproductions of historic maps, images, and other unique
history-related products for purchase at
www.zazzle.com/sacramentohistory.
All product sales help CSH carry out its mission to preserve,
exhibit, and make accessible the history of the Sacramento region.
Volunteers/Interns
The Center seeks out
committed volunteers/interns with an interest in history or work
experience in museums, libraries or archives. While CSH accepts
applications from all who wish to apply, securing a position depends
on current openings and staff commitments. It is required that
volunteers give at least a four hour block of time each week;
internship requirements are dictated by the intern’s graduate
program. Interested persons should contact the Volunteer Coordinator
at (916) 808-7072.
Donations
The Center accepts
permanent donations of artifacts and documents in any format that
relate to the history of the Sacramento region. Materials need not be
monetarily valuable, organized, “old” or related to a prominent
entity or event in order to be historically significant. While the
Center cannot accept everything that may be offered, it welcomes the
opportunity to review material. Donors should contact the Center at
(916) 808-7072.
Mission Statement
The Center for Sacramento
History’s mission as a public agency is to illuminate and promote
the exploration and analysis of the social, political, geographic,
and cultural history of the City and County of Sacramento from their
founding to the present, by collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and
making accessible the documentary and material culture of the diverse
region.
Center for Sacramento History
551 Sequoia Pacific Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95811-0229
TEL (916) 808-7072
FAX (916) 808-7582
Find us under “Sacramento
History” on Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube.
Administration Hours:Monday – Friday 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed during noon hour).
Parking is free and
plentiful.
Posted by Lois Shumaker.
