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Our Collections

Discover what we have in Special Collections

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White haired man pointing towards the right.
Bill (William M.) Kortum Papers
North Bay environmental history collected by the leader of the North Bay movement in the late 20th and early 21st century (1954-2014)
Brenda star comic panel
Brenda Starr Comic Collection
Syndicated comic strip art created in 1947 by Dale Messick
COAAST lettering on a license plate.
C.O.A.A.S.T. Scrapbook Collection
Scrapbooks of the organization Californians Organized to Acquire Access to State Tidelands (1968-1972)
Example of Swedish weaving, beige background with horizontal lines of red, orange flames and blue water.
California Folklore Miscellany
Oral histories and reminiscences that document North Bay history with a focus on folklore and family stories (1850-1983)
Illustration of a rising sun over a beach.
Charles Rhinehart Papers
Environmental papers of a Sonoma County activist and founder of C.O.A.A.S.T. (Californians Organized to Acquire Access to State Tidelands)  (1968-2005)
Man in a tuxedo holding a baton/
Corrick Brown Santa Rosa Symphony Collection
38 years of Santa Rosa Symphony history, collected during the tenure of Conductor Corrick Brown (1928-2016)
A decayed building made of stone.
Dawson Lime Kiln Photograph Collection
Photographs of 19th century California and Nevada lime kilns taken by David Dawson Photographs of California and Nevada lime kilns by David Dawson
Woman ironing
Dust Bowl Migration Archive
Dust Bowl era documents collected by author and SSU professor Gerald Haslam (1938-1981)
Little red ridinghood
English Chapbook Collection
19th century pocket-sized songbooks and miscellanies
Man sitting in a cabin of a boat.
Ernest Hemingway Letters
Correspondence from Hemingway to journalist Denne Petitclerc (1956-1958)
Person standing at a beach, looks over the horizon.
Ernestine Smith Papers
Environmental papers of a Sonoma County activist (1959-1973)
3 men face the camera.  All three are wearing cowboy hats and western garb.
Finley-McFarling Genealogy Collection
Genealogy and history of an early Sonoma County family (1740-1830)
a woman holding a newspaper, sitting in an office.  A typewriter and phone are behind her.
Gaye LeBaron Collection
The working papers of a distinguished Sonoma County journalist and historian (1800s-2022)
2 men, one wearing a McCabe for Congress button, both men hold a McCabe for Congress.bumpersticker
George McCabe Papers
Papers of a Sonoma State University founding father (1951-1998)
Man wearing glasses and holding a pipe.
Hector Lee Folklore Collection
Folklore of northern California and beyond collected by SSU professor Lee (1850-1983)
People standing in front of building destroyed by earthquake.
Hoyt Earthquake Photograph Collection
Photographs of Santa Rosa following the 1906 earthquake
New Roots in American Soil
Indochinese Cultures Project
Photographs of Southeast Asian refugees in California (1958-1984)
Map with text Recreation Master Plan
Iva Warner Papers
Environmental papers of a Sonoma County activist (1963-1994)
Romance of the Redwoods movie poster
Jack London Collection
Books and memorabilia related to American author Jack London (1897-2005)
Painting of wolf
Jack London in Context Collection
Books and research materials chronicling Jack London’s era (1800s-2013)
Ribbon cutting event.
John LeBaron Photograph Collection
Prints and photo negatives of a nationally recognized photographer and photojournalist (1950- 2014)
John Crevelli
John P. Crevelli Papers
Papers of an environmental historian on county, state, and national environmental issues (1931-2015)
Man sitting at a table with an open box.
John Schubert Russian River Collection
Material relating to the history of Sonoma County’s Russian River area (1860-2019).
People sitting on a porch on a farmhouse.
John Shackelford Taylor Papers
Papers documenting the life of a Sonoma County pioneer (1850-1948)
John Hudson
John W. Hudson Papers
Ethnographic data on California Native Americans collected by Hudson (1848-1977)
Grace Brothers Brewing Company invoice
Justi (Leopold) Digital Collection
Material on various aspects of Sonoma County (1853-1874).
Man posing for a photographic portrait
Leopold Justi Papers
Papers documenting the life of a Glen Ellen (Calif.) pioneer (1853-1874
Illustration a man riding a giant beast through barren woods.
Lyman Celtic Collection
Books of Celtic poetry, fiction, and plays (1890s-1930s)
Lynn Woolsey
Lynn Woolsey Congressional Papers
Official papers of a former U.S. Congresswoman who represented the North Bay (1993-2013)
Postage Stamp with the process date of Nov 13, 1933.
Max Goodman Collection
A collection of letters exchanged between Max Goodman, a Philadelphia pharmacist, and Charmian London between 1932 and 1935.
Page with journal entries and a hand drawn upside-down octopus.
Modini Ranch Journals Collection
Handwritten journals depicting life on a Sonoma County ranch (1935-2005)
Smiling man standing behind the helm on a ship.
Nakata and Stevens Papers
Yoshimatsu Nakata’s recollections as an employee of Jack London (1938-2002)
Headshot of a woman.
Nellie Tombs Papers
Late 19th century ephemera saved by a young girl living in Healdsburg (1885-1888)
2 rows of women.
North Bay Ethnic Archive
Oral histories and photos representing a variety of North Bay ethnic groups (1975-2000)
People holding up a banner, PT and T Employees for Human Rights
Paul Lorch Collection
Materials documenting the Gay Rights Movement collected by journalist Paul Lorch, former editor of the Bay Area Reporter.
Empire Farms Magazine
Press Democrat Empire Living Collection
The Press Democrat Empire Living Collection contains feature articles written under various titles covering a wide range of topics that occurred throughout the Redwood Empire between 1948 and 1977.  
greyscale portrait of a man, dressed in 16th century clothes.
Rare Books Collection
Wide array of rare books on all subjects from the 17th through the 20th centuries
Two people walking a path, passing a large tree.
Regional Collection
Books and maps focused on North Bay history, government, people, and environmental issues (1860s-present)
Newspaper clipping
Regional Newspaper Collection
Historical California and North Bay newspapers from 1883 to the early 1990s
Roland Hauck Papers
Roland Hauck Papers
Materials focused on environmental issues concerning Sonoma County creeks and streams, and the construction of Warm Springs Dam
2 rows of men posing for a photo.
Roy Maxwell Talbot Papers
Photographs, artifacts, and documents from the private collection of Roy Maxwell Talbot (1908-1943)
41 cent usa stamp for Ruben Salazar
Ruben Salazar Collection
News articles and other material by and about Mexican American journalist Rubén Salazar (1955-2008)
Woman carrying a sign. Yes on I, stop sprawl, save farmland, rural heritage initiative
Sierra Club (Redwood Chapter) Collection
Materials collected by the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club which document the environmental movement of from the mid-20th thru early 21st century (1958-2021)
3 children posing for a photograph
Simmons-Banta Photograph Collection
Photographs of the Simmons and Banta families of Sonoma and Riverside counties, California (circa 1895-1950)
See Graton and Green Valley, Center of the Famous Gravenstein Apple Section.
Sonoma County Agriculture, Land Use, and Tourism Collection
Ephemera promoting Sonoma County and potential land use (1906-1915; 1949)
Map of Santa Rosa, indicating new freeway location.
Sonoma County Highways
Right-of-way appraisal files developed by the California Highway Commission (CalTrans) to document the access needed to build Highway 101 through Sonoma County (1940-1976)
Oral History Project
Sonoma County Oral History Project
Transcripts of oral histories documenting the daily lives of 12 Sonoma County families (1975-1978)
Old building with the words Poultry Products Central California on the side
Sonoma County Preservation Project
Photographs of historic buildings and sites from an SSU History Department program (1970s)
A feminist garage women mechanics.
Sonoma County Women’s Oral History Collection
Material relating to the history and development of the women’s movement in Sonoma County (1970-2008)
Drawing of a man looking forward, wearing a striped yellow and orange shirt carrying a rifle.  F.A.I is written behind him.
Spanish Civil War Collection
Posters and pamphlets from Spain’s Anti-Franco movement (1936-1945)
Student Political Awareness
Student Dissent Papers
Miscellaneous items pertaining to student activism in the U.S. (1957-1971)
Cal State Steepes
Student Newspaper Digital Collection
Student newspapers from Sonoma State University’s history, dating from 1961
Small wooden fence overlooks the shore
The Environmental History Digital Collection
Photographs and papers documenting environmental activities in northern California
Old truck with a sign new home of Sonoma State College
University Archives
University Archives preserves material on Sonoma State University’s campus history, beginning in 1961
Line drawing with Walt Phillips signature at bottom.
Walt Phillips Small Press Collection
Numerous 20th century small press journal issues with an emphasis on poetry (1959-1999)
Man and a woman, with a horse on the left and right.
Windsor Oral Histories
Oral histories of longtime Windsor residents (1979)