Collections
Chinese Characters in the Collections of Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens
by Laina Malm-Levine Things are moving right along with the collections inventory project at Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens. So far, over one thousand objects have been photographed, cataloged and logged into the database. These objects include plates, woks, martini glasses, silverware, artwork, furniture, and much more. While some of these objects are more utilitarian in nature, [...]
Digitizing the Past: the Delfina de la Guerra Collection
by Katherine Lowe In the course of scanning items for the Delfina de la Guerra collection, we discovered that certain formats would not fit or were too delicate to be placed on the scanner bed. What’s a Research Center to do? Call in a photographer, of course! A local photographer, Lael Wageneck, volunteered his time [...]
Collections Highlight: Sign from the Casa de la Guerra Porch
by Nora Kassner In June of 2011, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum donated a wooden sign to SBTHP. Reading “This Side Private,” the sign illuminates the later years of the de la Guerra family’s residency in Casa de la Guerra. A 1912 court case, possibly the reason for the sign, pitted Josepha de la Guerra [...]
“Windows to the Past” – The Santa Barbara Post Office Project, Part I
By Michael Orth Every once in a while SBTHP encounters a puzzle in the Presidio Neighborhood. Pieces from the past materialize in the present and offer a mystery to archaeologists and historians. In 2009, former postal employee and longtime friend of SBTHP, Harold Kroeger donated a number of service windows he purchased at auction that [...]
Diamonds in the Rough: Get out those Gloves!
By Laina Malm-Levine When I first heard about a project to catalog the collections related to Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens from Anne Petersen, I couldn’t wait to open the front door of the bar, located on Canon Perdido Street next to Three Pickles, to see what treasures awaited me. And there are treasures, believe me. After [...]
Digitizing the Past: the Delfina de la Guerra Collection
By Katherine Lowe When processing a new collection, one of the fun things is thinking about ways to share the collection. Thanks to constantly evolving technology, there are so many new and interesting ways to share historical collections with a much wider audience. Researchers can now search and browse millions of photos and letters from [...]
Take a Seat in the Presidio Chapel!
Several years ago SBTHP board member Tim Aguilar showed us a Mission-period bench he had acquired. Tim noted that a few benches of the same design would be appropriate additions to the Presidio Chapel. Although we know that most of the residents of the Presidio would have kneeled on floor mats during services, a [...]
Rare Books Owned by the de la Guerra Family Now at the Presidio Research Center
By Torie Quiñonez The Presidio Research Center recently received a donation of the personal papers of Delfina de la Guerra, the last member of that illustrious family to reside in the Casa de la Guerra. Delfina was born in 1861, and was the daughter of Pablo de la Guerra and Josefa Moreno y Castro. Aside [...]
