(R) Published by Edward H. Mitchell of San Francisco.
better than it does the library.
but showing yet another angle.
Longshaw card, published in Los Angeles,
postmarked in 1959.
History from Free to All and from Carnegie Libraries of California.
Funded in 1899, but opened nearly four years later. Replaced in the late 1990s.
Lovely Edward H. Mitchell postcard, never mailed.
1905 - 1929
1903 grant that was hardly worth James Bertrams time and Mr. Carnegie's money.
(L) Edw. H. Mitchell card, mailed 1913.
(R) Pacific Novelty Co. card, never mailed.
1904 grant.
Replaced in 1982, then wickedly remodeled. Now the Chico Museum.
Edward H. Mitchell card also showing the Majestic Theater.
You don't see a lot of Gothic library buildings in California, and the theater is also a little staid.
1906 grant.
Replaced in 1982, then gently remodeled. Now the Colton Museum.
Pacific Novelty Company postcard, never mailed.
1905 grant; built in 1906.
Its architecture shows midwestern influence in the use of rusticated stone.
Replaced in 1964. Now serves as the police department.
The Litho-Chrome postcard was mailed to Elgin, Illinois, sometime after 1907.
1906 - 1978. Vacant from 1971 until its demolition.
(L) M. Rieder card, with unevenly divided back, printed in Germany and mailed in 1908.
(R) This 1907 message reads in part: 'Say there are lots of good oranges here.'
Sent to Wisconsin in early March.
Cruel.
Built 1903.
Now the Morris Graves Museum of Art, according to the Carnegie Libraries of California web page. Sometime along the way, the dome was replaced by a skylight. Probably more sensible in earthquake-prone areas.
(L) Written (1905) on the Edw. H. Mitchell card is:
This is on F and Seventh Sts. - right back of the Reilinger house - opposite Convent. - about a yr. old.
Edith
(R) Newer Edward H. Mitchell card, mailed in 1911.
In use 1910 - 1975; currently a museum.
Library subsumed into Santa Clara Countly Library, but at least someone had the common sense to reuse the original building. (There is still a Gilroy facility.)
The card is from the Pacific Novelty Co. of San Francisco, and is unusual in its colors and lettering style.
In use 1906 - 1971; since 1975, a museum.
This is a lighter form of Romanesque architecture, courtesy of McDougall Brothers architects.
Lovely Newman post card, produced soon after the library was built.
1906-1948
Considered to be Spanish Colonial Revival architecture: architects of record were Smith & Stone.
Clear View brand card out of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, with signature aluminized border.
1909 grant; built in 1911, and replaced in 1988. Oh well, if you've gotta go, going to be blended with a wine library is not the worst fate. The Carnegie building is now a museum.
Rather nondescript Pacific Novelty Company card, never mailed.
1906 - 1958
Upon annexation to Los Angeles in 1910, this Tudor Revival
library became a branch library, the first of several indignities
to befall this Carnegie project before its demolition in 1958.
The current Hollywood branch is a Frank Gehry edifice. No hooray
for Hollywood from me.
1914 grant; built in 1918, and replaced in 1985. Now in use by the UC-Davis limnologists.
The lake is Clear Lake.
Beautiful hand colored card, with some water damage limited to the sky.
1909 - 1972
Demolished in 1973 subsequent to a fire. This wasn't the most distinguished (Classical Revival) library, but these are among the better postcards in my collection.
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(L) Published by Pacific Novelty for the Newman Post Card Co. (R) Published by Edward H. Mitchell of San Francisco. |
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Benham card displays ground cover better than it does the library. |
Unmarked RPPC is unmistakably this library. | Not so distinguished as the other cards, but showing yet another angle. Longshaw card, published in Los Angeles, postmarked in 1959. |
1908 - 1956
It didn't even make it to middle age.
Sweet, glorious youth! Flower beds! Pampas grass! Flowering trees! Curt Teich, you tried your hardest on this card.
A Christmas present (12/24/1907, per Bobinski) for Monterey resulting in a
library serving the public from 1911 - 1952.
Lovely combination of Mission, Moorish, and the 'standard' Carnegie style.
Pretty Edw. H. Mitchell card, never mailed.
Oakland's library system is critically endangered! If you can influence the legislative process to help save the Library, please do so now.
Built in 1902, now the African American Museum Library. Earthquake survivor.
Card published for Owl Drug. Entire back, never used.
1905 grant: condemned for undefined safety issues in 1959.
Beautiful photo postcard, showing its details to best advantage.
1908 - 1961
1907 grant. 1930 addition. Replaced in 1960.
Unattributed card mailed in 1912.
1906 grant. Replaced in 1963. Now used as an art museum.
Quite attractive Greek Revival building that looks as if there's a lot of wasted space. Good for a temple, bad for a library.
One of Curt Teich's best efforts, produced for J.R. Brakey. Printed on the reverse:
Our post cards are the best. Send our Ventura County Post Cards to your friends.
We publish views of all important subjects in VENTURA COUNTY.
Library received its Carnegie grant in 1906. The building was enlarged in 1926, 1938, 1950, and 1978-1981. The last renovation seems to have essentially obliterated any traces of the Mission- style Carnegie building.
The card was produced locally by Chas. K. Tuttle.
Built 1903, addition 1940, demolished 1967.
1906 Carnegie grant. WPA addition, 1939. Converted to an historical society museum in 1998.
(L) The card was captioned 'Pasa Robles' by M. Rieder & Co. Probably the German publisher wasn't
aware of the error.
It was mailed in 1909. The cancellation was struck so hard that the paper was damaged.
(R) Another Clear View card, showing the bucolic library's setting.
1903 - 1966
1902 and 1913 grants (the latter covered an addition). Burnham and Bliesner were the architects, working in the Classical Revival style.
(L) Newman postcard which may have been part of an postcard folder.
(R) PCK (Paul C. Koeber Co.) card issued during the 1907 transition period. The street looks like
it's in the middle of some hefty repairs.
1908 - 1947
1907 grant. Condemned in 1947. Six long years elapsed before the new library was built.
Heathens.
Very unusual architecture combining the native Mission style with Romanesque features. This picture was probably made shortly after the building was finished.
1905 - 1950
Two grants: the first in 1904 for construction; the second, post-1906 earthquake for repairs. Only 33 years later, the library moved to new digs.
Unattractive ZIM card, with the building and the lawn tinted. There's a blurry little girl skipping down the sidewalk.
Fantastic Spanish Mission style library in Riverside, torn down in 1964. At least it reached its
60 year anniversary, by a single year.
(L) Card dated between 1907 and 1911, produced by Paul C. Koeber Co. of New York City and Kircheim, Germany.
(R) Card post-1907. Attribution: 'Post Cards of Quality -
The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.' Just exquisite.
Caption:
Carnegie Library, Riverside, Cal.
Visited by President Roosevelt
This M. Reider card is the oldest of the three, mailed in 1904. Due to damage, the scan was cropped on the right side.
I have several more Riverside cards that I haven't posted yet.
1904-1958
Condemned in 1957 for unspecified reasons, this library looks as if it could have served into the current century, given its generous size.
(L) Another beautiful Edward H. Mitchell card.
(R) Pacific Novelty Photo card also showing the frony of a 1920s automobile.
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1902 - 1952
Built from an 1899 grant.
(L) Edward H. Mitchell card with atypically included street life.
(C) The photo card's picture was more than a little askew. I tried as much as possible to help it.
(R) Eno & Matteson, publishers.
Although the library shares a site with the city, it has managed to produce a fantastic
omnibus
site for people like me.
The proposed new building looks like the Baha'i temple in Wilmette, Illinois. Neat.
Italian Renaissance Beaux Arts building stemming from a 1901 grant. Built 1917. Looks like they had a little delay along the way. Some sort of earthquake, I'd guess.
Photo card dates from the 1930s. I believe that the skyscraper is the Russ Building, built in 1927.
Currently the Asian Art Museum.
1902 grant; built 1903.
Considered 'overcrowded' within 5 years (this was a small building),
the Carnegie building was sold to San Jose/Main State College (now San Jose State University) in 1937
for use as its student union.
By 1960, it no longer served that purpose, and was demolished.
M. Rieder card mailed in 1912.
Late 1907 grant; built 1909.
Somewhere along the way, somebody thought it was a good idea to
refashion it into a Deco style, not enlarging it, however.
By 1959, it was demolished.
Edward H. Mitchell card with a sepia tint; never mailed.
Built 1905. Considered to be Romanesque.
Card published by the Pacific Novelty Co.
Currently County Historical Society's Museum. Nice reuse.
1907 - 1968
1905 grant. Thought to have been under construction when the Big One hit in '06. Did receive an addition, but that wasn't enough to save the Classical Revival building in 1968, when it was replaced.
This card is part of the 'Searchlight Series by A Holzman - Chicago.'
Built after a 1905 Carnegie grant, subsequently demolished.
1903 - 1960
Mission (Spanish Colonial) style building that no-one apparently felt was important enough to preserve, long before current building codes would have put the kibosh on the bell towers.
A post-1927, remodeled building tops this page. 1903 grant, demolished in 1974.
1904 - 1964
This was a rare Romanesque Carnegie building, damaged in the 1906 earthquake (earning a second grant), and condemned in 1960. It took 54 years to figure out that it was unsafe?
After a hiatus in temporary quarters, the new building was erected on the same site in 1967.
The card was postmarked in 1905.
1906 - 1952
According to the Carnegie Libraries of California site, the Prohibitionist city government was responsible for the establishment of the Library.
Strange sidelong view of the building makes it difficult to determine its style. Perhaps Mission?
The other web page concurs.
PNC card. Given what beautiful work this company did with library postcards, why would any of the local
establishments have used other firms?
Well,
Edward H. Mitchell cards aren't too shabby.
1905 - 1963
Even worse life span than Santa Rosa (above).
I can't figure out what style this building is. The entry isn't quite Classical Revival,
and the carved signage isn't quite Mission style.
Carnegie Libraries of California calls it
Classical Revival Type A.
(L) Strangely, this card was printed in Indiana by Ft. Wayne Box & Printing. The silver
border (more likely, aluminum) style is much more common in midwestern postcards.
(R) Newman Postcard, for F. Rosenthal. Mailed in 1909.
In public library service from 1916 to 1968, and today is Turlock's Community Arts Center.
The card, by Pacific Novelty of San Francisco, was mailed in the 1920s.
1904-1969
From the exterior, this was a homely building. Carnegie Libraries of California shows some interior photographs that are stikingly beautiful.
Edward H. Mitchell Postcard, never mailed.
Early 1903 grant; built 1904.
Replaced by a WPA project, 1936.
Not certain that there weren't other communities in greater need of a spankin'
new library that year.
Benham Co. postcard, possibly printed by Curt Teich. Mailed in 1913.
Last minute 1904 grant; built 1907. Enlarged in 1927, probably wrecking its striking neoclassical lines.
Demolished in 1959.
Another Benham card, also a likely Curt Teich product.
Late 1913 grant; built 1915.
Fortunately, still standing.
Willits no longer has its own library: it and Ukiah
are currently served by the County of Mendocino.
Black and White brand card, mailed in 1917.
Built with a 1905 grant: still in use (rare among California Carnegie libraries).
Unusual card style with an attractive self-framing border.
© 2011 - 2012 Judy Aulik
Divided from Washington and Oregon in June, 2011.
Updated: March, 2012.
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