Legion of Honor Scrapbook Collection
Scope and Contents
A collection of any and all scrapbooks that chronicle the history of the Legion of Honor. Each scrapbook contains mainly clippings covering a variety of topics, including exhibitions, events, notable figures, and San Francisco and Bay Area news.
The majority of the clippings scrapbooks cover general Legion of Honor history from 1931 through 1971.
A series of scrapbooks follow the Patrons of Art Music auxiliary group from 1963 through 1971.
The Alma de Bretteville Spreckels scrapbook chronicles the life and influence of Alma from 1922 to 1924 around her founding of the Legion in 1924.
The Exhibition Scrapbooks feature clippings and ephemera from various exhibitions at the Legion, assembled by outside sources and donated over the years to the archives.
Dates
- Creation: 1922 - 1971
Conditions Governing Access
These scrapbooks are closed to use for preservation concerns. They are fragile due to their age and the nature of how they were compiled. They are at risk of being ripped or damaged if handled incorrectly. The collection is still in process.
Biographical / Historical
These scrapbooks follows the exhibitions, events, and goings-on at the Legion of Honor and the Bay Area art community from 1931 through 1971. It documents the Legion of Honor's development until 1971, one year before the Legion of Honor merged with the de Young museum to form the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
The Legion of Honor, originally called the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, was founded in 1924 by Adolph B. and Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. Construction on the museum broke ground in 1921 and opened to the public on Armistice Day November 11, 1924 in dedication to the memory of the over 3,000 Californians who perished in World War I. Located in Lincoln Park in San Francisco, California, the Legion of Honor has provided the City of San Francisco with access to art for nearly 100 years.
Born on March 24, 1881 in the Outer Sunset district of San Francisco, California, Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, known as "Big Alma," was a philanthropist, socialite, mother, art enthusiast, and major influence in San Francisco and around the world. In 1924, she opened the California Palace of the Legion of Honor along with her husband, Adolph B. Spreckels.
The Patrons of Art and Music was an important support group to the Legion of Honor who helped expand the museum's exhibition offerings by gathering financial and community support.
Extent
35 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
A collection of any and all scrapbooks that chronicle the history of the Legion of Honor. Each scrapbook contains mainly clippings covering a variety of topics, including exhibitions, events, notable figures, and San Francisco and Bay Area news.
Arrangement
This is a collection of scrapbooks of mainly clippings about the Legion of Honor. Each scrapbook covers one year of clippings and consists of one box of unbound pages within one large folder. All pages are organized chronologically within the scrapbooks.
The scope and content note of each series notes important events or names on each page of the scrapbook.
The Alma de Bretteville Spreckels Scrapbook is one bound scrapbook with a folder of loose items.
The Exhibition Scrapbooks are bound scrapbooks.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Archives Repository
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr
San Francisco California 94118 USA