Farallon Islands items at Nightlife

I have been working with a researcher named Eva Chrysanthe who is writing and illustrating a graphic novel called The Farallon Egg War. Her graphic novel is almost done and we are both excited to have a table at the October 21 Farallon Nightlife at the Academy. She will have some of her original paintings and drafts of the graphic novel while I will feature some of the Library and Archive materials that she consulted as reference materials.

In the Archives, we have two collections that have striking historic images from the Farallones. The Arthur L. Bolton family papers contains fifty Farallon images from 1896 and 1897 including a lighthouse, a shipwreck, an egger's shoes, and men collecting bird eggs. In addition, there are images of Arthur Bolton and Leverett Mills Loomis preparing bird specimens in the Academy's Monterey workshop. These are some of the earliest Farallon images that Eva found while conducting research.

"Fisherman's Bay' and 'North Landing' South Farallon Island July '96." Arthur L. Bolton family papers.

"A weeks egg gathering South Farallon Islands". Eight men around a pile of eggs. Arthur L. Bolton family papers.

"Mr. Loomis and A.L. Bolton in workshop of California Academy of Sciences Expedition, Monterey, California. June 1897." Arthur L. Bolton family papers.

"Eggers trolley to Sea Island Islet." South Farallon Island, July '96. Man sitting on trolley off side of rock. Arthur L. Bolton family papers.

"Scottie 'the Egger', South Farallon Islands, July '96." Man holding basket on his shoulder. Arthur L. Bolton family papers.

The O.J. Heinemann collection contains approximately 700 glass plate negatives.  One of the rare books that Becky pulled for Eva contained several of the Heinemann Farallon images that we have in the archive. Please join us at the Academy on Thursday October 21st to see some of these items.

- Danielle Castronovo

Archives and Digital Collections Librarian