Archives

The Museum Archives contain permanent collections consisting of photographs and documentary materials including personal, business and legal papers, ephemera like trade cards, postcards and other printed paper materials as well as rare books related to greater San Bernardino County and the southwestern United States.  In addition, the Archives houses a reference library and informational files containing data useful in historic research.  The Western Textile Center Library, a group of books and journals related to the history of the textile arts is also a part of the collections of the Archives.

Members of the public who are seeking historic information about people, families and organizations for personal and commercial purposes can receive assistance with these collections and reference materials for research through e-mail and telephone contact or by calling ahead for appointments.  The Archives staff will consult with you and then will provide assistance with the materials on an individual basis.  Copy prints of photographic images can be purchased for personal and commercial use following a fee schedule established by the County Board of Supervisors.  

Artifacts from our collections have been featured in San Bernardino County Museum Association Quarterly Publications. Vol. 49 #1 (2002), Lights, Lanterns and Lenses: Images from the Permanent Collections, 1830s to 1930s  and Vol. 41 #4 (1994), The Everitt Photographic Studio are currently available for purchase.

• June 22: Strolling through History - History is for all ages! Take a stroll with us and start your children on the road to exciting lifelong curiosity with stories from history and a chance to practice how to look closely and ask a lot of questions.
  
  
• August 15: Museum Hall of History, Anthropology to be transformed

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For further information and assistance with research requests, please contact Michele Nielsen, Archives Manager, (909) 307-2669 ext. 240 / TDD/TTY: (909) 792-1462.