Luther Burbank with Kanaye Nagasawa and Edwin Markham at Fountaingrove, Santa Rosa, Calif. 1915
Just in time for Santa Rosa’s Sesquicentennial, the Sonoma County Library is pleased to announce that it has completed the digitization of over 1700 images belonging to Santa Rosa’s famed Luther Burbank Home & Gardens. The project preserves the locally and nationally significant collection of pioneer horticulturist Luther Burbank and provides unprecedented online access to the collection for scholars and members of the public. The image collection consists of photographs, slides, panoramic and stereographic images as well as postcards, greeting cards, and negatives dating from the 1860s to the 1980s. This project represents a partnership between the Sonoma County Library and the City of Santa Rosa and serves as an excellent way in which to honor Santa Rosa’s 150th birthday.
The City of Santa Rosa entered into a contract with the Sonoma County Library in 2017 to preserve the collection, beginning the detailed process of cataloging, digitizing and providing online access to the images. Head library cataloger Geoffrey Skinner led the effort, ensuring existing metadata was correct and enhanced in some instances. High-resolution digital capture was conducted by Act3 Partners. The digital images were then uploaded to the Sonoma County Library’s ‘Sonoma Heritage Collection’—providing unprecedented access to the historic collection and preserving Santa Rosa history and that of the nation for future generations.
The bulk of the images in the collection originate from the estate of Luther Burbank’s widow, Elizabeth Waters Burbank. Others were purchased and large numbers of donated items came from Eric Grissell’s collection of historic postcards, Dr. and Mrs. E.S. Ashuckian from the estate of M.K. Serailian, Georgina Stewart, J.B. Keil, Kay and Bob Voliva, Sherman Boivin, Western Sonoma County Historical Society, and Wendy Aikin from the estate of Frank Vail.
Subjects of local interest seen in the images include Mayor John Overton, Senator Herbert Slater, Fred Pederson, Dorothy Seawell, Dr. Joseph Shaw, Emma Burbank Beeson, and Elizabeth Waters Burbank. A few dozen images from 1919 depict Charles Hampton and members of the Agricultural Club of Santa Rosa High School demonstrating equipment and showcasing livestock.
The City of Santa Rosa is just one of Sonoma County Library’s partners. Other organizations whose digital images are featured in theSonoma County Local History & Culture include the Western Sonoma County Historical Society, the Sonoma County Bar Association, and the Sonoma County Fair. To view these collections and more, go to https://digital.sonomalibrary.org.
