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Crosby (Harry) Collection
MSS 0333
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: Harry Crosby Collection
Creator:
Crosby, Harry W., 1926-
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0333
Physical Description:
11 Linear feet
(3 archives boxes, 1 flat box, 136 mounted photographs, and over 5,000 negatives)
Physical Description:
33.3 GB
of digital files
Date (inclusive): 1966-1992
Abstract: The Harry Crosby Collection contains photographs of UC San Diego; an exhibit of photographs entitled "Baja California, 1967-1992:
Photographs by Harry Crosby"; and a book proposal which led to the publication of
The Cave Paintings of Baja California (1975). Also included are black-and-white negatives documenting Sonora, Mexico, between 1960-1970; Tijuana in 1964; and a
study of ranches and ranch life in Baja California from 1967-1997.
Languages:
English
.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Harry Crosby Collection contains images of UC San Diego taken during the mid-1960s; a photograph exhibition, entitled
"Baja California, 1967-1992: Photographs by Harry Crosby"; and a book proposal on the mountains, people and cave paintings
of Baja California. Also included are black-and-white negatives documenting Sonora, Mexico, between 1960-1970; Tijuana in
1964; and a study of ranches and ranch life in Baja California from 1967-1997. The bulk of the UCSD photographs were taken
to illustrate a promotional brochure entitled
We Propose to Challenge and document buildings and campus life during the mid-1960s. The Baja California photograph exhibit includes images of peninsular
mission architecture, historic places, everyday life on remote ranches, and landmarks along the unpaved transpeninsular highway.
ACCESSIONS PROCESSED IN 2008
Arranged in five series: 1) PHOTOGRAPHS OF UCSD, 2) BAJA CALIFORNIA, 1967-1992, 3) RURAL LIFE IN SONORA, 1960-1973, 4) MANUSCRIPTS,
and 5) NEGATIVES.
ACCESSION PROCESSED IN 2015
Arranged in four series: 6) NEGATIVES AND SLIDES, 7) CONTACT SHEETS, 8) PRINTS, and 9) DIGITAL VIDEO.
Harry W. Crosby was born in Seattle, Washington, on June 10, 1926. He received his B.A from Occidental College in 1948 and
his masters degree from San Diego State University in 1951. In 1963, he retired from teaching in the San Diego Unified School
District to become a professional photographer. Between 1963 and 1974, Crosby worked in commercial photography, specializing
in brochure, magazine and book illustration.
In 1967, Crosby was hired by the Commission of the Californias to illustrate a book to commemorate the California bicentennial
entitled
The Call to California (1969). During his research for the book, he rode 600 miles in Baja California, mostly on muleback, and followed the route
of the Portola/Serra expedition of 1769. While photographing historic places in Baja, Crosby also became interested in peninsular
rock art and the history of the isolated ranch families he encountered.
Crosby has since written and illustrated numerous books and articles on Baja California, including
The King's Highway in Baja California (1974),
The Cave Paintings of Baja California (1975), "Baja's Murals of Mystery" (
National Geographic, 1980, Vol.158, No.5, p.692-702),
Last of the California (1981),
Doomed to Fail (1989),
Antigua California, Mission and Colony on the Peninsular Frontier, 1697-1768 (1994),
The cave paintings of Baja California : discovering the great murals of an unknown people (1997), and
Gateway to Alta California: the expedition to San Diego, 1769 (2003).
Harry Crosby Collection, MSS 333. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library.
Acquired 1991, 1994, 2012
Selected images from the collection have been digitized.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photographic prints -- 20th century
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) -- Social life and customs
Rock paintings -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula)
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) -- Description and travel -- Pictorial works
Spanish mission buildings -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula)
Architecture -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula)
Jesuit architecture -- Mexico -- Baja California (Peninsula)
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula)
Crosby, Harry W., 1926- -- Archives
University of California, San Diego -- Pictorial works
University of California, San Diego -- Buildings -- Pictorial works