George H. Harlan Photograph Collection, 1851-1990
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8dr2xs2 No online items A guide to the George H. Harlan photograph collection, 1851-1990 Processed by: L. Bianchi, 2014 January. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Phone: 415-561-7030 Fax: 415-556-3540 [email protected] URL: http://www.nps.gov/safr 2014 A guide to the George H. Harlan P96-033 (SAFR 23844) 1 photograph collection, 1851-1990 A Guide to the George H. Harlan photograph collection P96-033 San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, National Park Service 2014, National Park Service Title: George H. Harlan photograph collection Date: 1851-1990 Date (bulk): circa 1890-1958 Identifier/Call Number: P96-033 (SAFR 23844) Creator: Harlan, George H. Physical Description: 1250 items. Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Abstract: The George H. Harlan photograph collection, 1851-1990, bulk circa 1890-1958, (SAFR 23844, P96-033) is comprised mainly of photographs of ferries in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Many of the photographs were published in George H. Harlan's book "San Francisco Bay Ferryboats" about San Francisco Bay Area ferry history. The collection has been processed to the File Unit level with some Items listed and is open for use. Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department Language(s): In English. Access This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted. Nitrate negatives are restricted from use. Use-copies can be provided. Glass plate negatives may require special handling by the reference staff. Publication and Use Rights Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. Processing Note Each photographic image has been assigned an Item number; there are often multiple physical forms of each image (e.g. a negative and a print) which has been noted in the physical description field. Note that copies of the same image may appear in multiple File Units. The processing archivist did not track the number of copies for each unique image. Description Notes: Dates refer to when the original photograph was taken. Many of the photographic prints and negatives in this collection are copies that were made much later than when the original photograph was taken. The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide. Please cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff. Preferred Citation [Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], P96-033 (SAFR 23844), George H. Harlan photograph collection, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Acquisition Information SAFR-01066 SAFR-01113 SAFR-01066 consists of photographs, documents, and a document case from the estate of George H. Harlan, donated to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park by Jack E. Shekell on March 14, 1996. The initial inventory listed: 11 A guide to the George H. Harlan P96-033 (SAFR 23844) 2 photograph collection, 1851-1990 boxes of negatives of ferries and various vessel of San Francisco Bay; 9 large envelopes of photographs; 4 envelopes of negatives of San Francisco Bay ferries, sailing ships and transports; 1 album containing negatives of ferries; 3 glass plate negatives; a photograph and negative of George Harlan aboard the ferry EUREKA; a box with 7 glass color slides; 0.25 linear feet of textual records; an engine room logbook from the ferry TAMALPAIS; and a ships papers holder from the ferry CAZADERO. The textual records were cataloged as HDC1105 (SAFR 14796). The CAZADERO document case was cataloged as SAFR 14627. In January 2014, the photographs were cataloged as P96-033 (SAFR 23844). SAFR-01113 consists of photographs, documents, and ephemera from the estate of George H. Harlan, donated to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park by Jack E. Shekell on July 19, 1996. The initial inventory listed: 30 items of ephemera related to San Francisco Bay Area ferries; 1 metal stamp of George H. Harlan's name; 1 logbook from the ferry CAZADERO; 1 inch of miscellaneous textual materials; architectural drawings; approximately 325 photographs and negatives related to San Francisco Bay ferries; and newsprint and other publications. The ephemera were assigned catalog numbers SAFR 15389 through SAFR 15395. The metal stamp was assigned catalog number SAFR 15396. The newsprint and other publications were transferred to the J. Porter Shaw Library. The textual records and architectural drawings were cataloged as HDC1105 (SAFR 14796). In January 2014, the photographs were cataloged as P96-033 (SAFR 23844). Note that one photograph, possibly of Andrew C. Disher, was left in situ in the textual records of HDC1105 (Series 1, Folder 2). Also note that documents found among the photographs during processing in 2014 were left in situ in P96-033 (SAFR 23844). Some of Harlan's original enclosures that held P96-033 Items were kept for reference (not cataloged). See P96-033, Box 7 for a sampling of original boxes and the P96-033 Collection File for a sampling of original envelopes. Historical or Biographical Note George H. Harlan, Jr. (1916-1995) was a marine architect and engineer from Marin County, California. He was an author of books on the history of San Francisco Bay Area, California, ferries as well as West Coast railroads. George Hillary Harlan, Jr. was born on July 4, 1916, in Sausalito, California, to George H. Harlan, Sr. (June 3, 1877-May 7, 1960) and Esther (Greaves) Harlan (February 17, 1884-July 1, 1956). His mother, born in England, and his father, born in San Francisco, California, married in 1908. His father was a prominent Marin County attorney whose accomplishments included being elected to the 1911 California State Legislature, drafting the legislation that formed the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District in 1923, and serving as the president of the Marin Junior College Board of Trustees from 1926-1938. Harlan, Jr. had an older brother, possibly named Charles H. or John M., who was born in 1909. As a child, George H. Harlan, Jr. attended Miss Greaves Private School in Sausalito and Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. While in high school, he took mechanical drawing classes from Andrew P. "Scotty" Hall, a naval architect from Scotland. Harlan attended Marin Junior College, graduating in 1935. He studied liberal arts at the University of Nevada, graduating in 1937, before returning to Sausalito and obtaining his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley, Hastings College of the Law. However, the threat of World War II changed Harlan's career path. After law school, Harlan received additional naval architecture training from Scotty Hall and passed the state examination for mechanical engineers. In April 1941, he began working as a naval architect for the U.S. Army Transport Service, located at Fort Mason in San Francisco. When World War II ended, he began teaching engineering at Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco; however, the Army Transport Service asked him to return to his former position. He remained with the Army Transport Service through its transformations into the Military Sea Transportation Service in 1950 and Military Sealift Command in 1971. He worked his way up to superintending engineer and senior naval architect, becoming the highest graded civilian in the organization. He retired in 1980. Harlan married Kathleen Shannon (1915-2000) in 1958 in Reno, Nevada. She had two children from a previous marriage, Sandra Rose and Kadeane. Harlan grew up fascinated by the trains and boats that frequented his hometown of Sausalito, an interest he shared with his father. It was through his membership in the Railroadians of America that the idea originated to write a book about narrow gauge railroads, which led to the publishing of "Oil Lamps and Iron Ponies: A Chronicle of the Narrow Gauges" (1949) by Harlan and two fellow Railroadians members, Frederic Shaw and Clement Fisher, Jr. Harlan and Fisher teamed up again to write "Of Walking Beams and Paddle Wheels: A Chronicle of San Francisco Bay Ferryboats" (1951). Harlan was also the author of "San Francisco Bay Ferryboats" (1967) and self-published "An Island in Yosemite: The Story of White Wolf Lodge" (1981) and "Those Amazing Cab Forwards" (1983). George H. Harlan died in Greenbrae, California, on July 3, 1995. Sources: A guide to the George H. Harlan P96-033 (SAFR 23844) 3 photograph collection, 1851-1990 Harlan, George H. Interview by Carla Ehat. Transcript. Oral History Project of the Marin County Free Library, San Rafael, CA, November 4, 1982. Harlan, George H. San Francisco Bay Ferryboats. Berkeley, CA: Howell-North Books, 1967. Harlan, George. "San Francisco Ferry Boats." Presentation at the Moya Library, Marin Art & Garden Center, Ross, CA, unknown date [between 1983-1995]. State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. Accessed October 22, 2013, from Ancestry.com. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1920. T625, 2076 rolls). National Archives, Washington, D.C. Accessed December 2, 2013, from Ancestry.com. United States of America, Bureau of the Census.