This album includes photographs, circa 1930, of California Youth Authority facilities such as the Preston School of Industry, Ventura School for Girls, and Whittier State School. Whittier opened in 1891, Preston opened in 1892, and Ventura opened in 1913. This photo album includes records that are significant because they help to inform researchers about California's programs established to rehabilitate and train youths and about the conditions under which the youths were housed. The photographs in this album show the institutions' buildings and the surrounding grounds and farms, circa 1930. Many of the buildings in these photographs have been razed and Preston and Whittier have been closed. The album shows the major buildings but may also include the only known images of many minor structures which may no longer exist today. The album also contains images of state-owned land and equipment and includes statistics about state properties such as information on construction, dates, dimensions, and additions. According to State Archivist J.N. Bowman in 1955, no other state had been found with such a complete series of pictures of its buildings within such a restricted time-period. California Youth Authority records are of high interest to researchers, and the time period that these particular records cover is significant because it is during the Great Depression, which caused an increase in the number of inmates committed to state reform schools. In addition, because the records are Department of Finance records, one can assume that the state agencies featured in the photographs would want to look their best as they justified their existence and fought for their share of funds from the state budget.
Type
text
Format
Original Photograph Album
Extent
16 x 21 in. 238 Pages of 238
Identifier
car_000303 F3254:010 ark:/13960/t5p94d77g
Language
English
Subject
Depressions--1929--California Preston School of Industry (Ione, Calif.) Whittier State School (Whittier, Calif.)
Time Period
1929/1941 1930
Place
California Ione (Calif.) Whittier (Calif.)
Provenance
California State Archives California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
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