The California Historical Society at 678 Mission St. in San Francisco, photographed in June 2023. (Courtesy CHS)
The California Historical Society has agreed to transfer their 600,000 item collection to Stanford University. The issue was lack of permanent funding. They had a deep, complex and fascinating collection of Californiana but no clear way to earn sufficient income to support it.
Their other permanent asset, their location at 678 Mission Street was recently sold for $6.7 million, leaving them $3.2 million to give to Stanford to assume the burden to organize, image, research and support the collection into the continuum.
Such collections that light collectors’ fires often do not have natural constituencies. They often rely on individual donors. Otherwise they become reliant on local or state financing. Neither the City of San Francisco nor the State of California provided it, leaving them few options. Stanford has deep pockets and the ability to continue to transform their collections into public displays through the endlessly complex and interesting internet.
The CHS tried hard to keep their site and collection together. In Stanford’s hands, the collection that very few ever saw, it will be present on your phones and computers.
Simply said, a 40 year old baseball player can receive $5.0 million a year because millions of people see him in stadiums and on television. Their old and deep collection deserved attention but such material rarely gets the support they deserve because not enough eyes see what they've had.
Freeman’s, August 20. President Washington Reaffirms the US Treaty of Friendship and Peace with Morocco, the Longest Unbroken Treaty in US History. $50,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s, August 20. Weeks After Victory at Yorktown, Benjamin Franklin Promises Repayment of a French Loan that Funded the American Revolution. $200,000 – 300,000.
Freeman’s, August 20. Rare First Edition of the Foundational Text of the Mormon Church. $100,000 – 150,000.
Freeman’s, August 20. President Washington Sends the First Major Law Passed by Congress, the Tariff Act of 1789. $100,000 – 150,000.
Freeman’s, August 20. A Scarce Example of Audubon's Depiction of a Brown Pelican, Plate CCLI from his Birds of America. $30,000 – 50,000.
Freeman’s, August 20. The Official and First Obtainable Broadside Printing of the Lincoln's Final Emancipation Proclamation. $30,000 – 50,000.
