Santa Cruz County historic photograph collection

Collection Contents

This collection of photographs spans more than 100 years of Santa Cruz city and county development and activity. The photographs document communities and towns, some now gone; businesses and stores; industries: logging, mining, farming, ranching; the natural surroundings: beaches, forests, rivers, creeks, lagoons; cultural events and entertainment: theater, exhibits, celebrations, parades; institutions: government, churches, schools, libraries; military displays and recreation: team sports, camping, and fishing; and means of transportation: railroads, streetcars, airplanes, automobiles, ships and boats. It reveals the daily lives of Santa Cruz residents and where they lived, worked, played, and worshiped. The bulk of the photographs document the city of Santa Cruz, but there are many images of the North and South county as well. Other large portions include the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and Casino, and the nascent film industry in Santa Cruz including actors, directors, and film crews on location.

Some image titles in this collection contain offensive terms that identify subjects by race, ethnicity, or physical appearance. These titles were supplied by the artist(s) or were derived from inventories provided by the donor. In publishing this metadata, we recognize that these terms do not align with current terminology and practice; we chose to retain them to reflect and preserve the context in which these images were created and named.

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