Sausalito Historical Society Accessions
The process a museum or historical society uses to add items to its collection is called accessioning.
The Sausalito Historical Society has an accession policy for deciding what to add to our collection. We ask: Is it relevant to Sausalito; can we provide safe storage and preservation; can we use it for research, an exhibition or educational purposes; is it of significant quality, rarity, or of sufficient historical or cultural value to merit inclusion in our collection? We will feature recent notable accessions in this area.
If you have something you’d like to donate to us to be considered for accessioning, contact us at info@sausalitohistoricalsociety.org or call 415 289-4117.
Below are some of our most recent acquisitions.
Title: The San Francisco Bay Ark Hoo-Hoo
MEDIUM: .pdf document
ACQUISTION DATE: 6/01/2023
An Interrupted History by Walt Johnson and Jenny Montañez.
The Hoo-Hoo was part of the Harvey family history. “
TITLE: 1990-91 Blown-Up Color Photos of Anchor-Outs in the Bay
MEDIUM: Photographs
ACQUISTION DATE: 2021
Eight panels of blown-up color photos of anchor-outs in the Bay, used for Superior Court Case 138015 in 1990 and 1991, mounted on pasteboard. All are 27" x 36". The panels show the location of anchor outs at the time. We are in the process of accessioning legal and other documents related to this case, given to us by Galilee Harbor.
TITLE: Invitation to the S.S. Mission Capistrano Launch
MEDIUM: Printed Material
ACQUISTION DATE: 2021
We still enjoy receiving Marinship items. This is an Invitation to the S.S. Mission Capistrano launching party on 5/17/1944 at Marinship.
TITLE: Photographs
MEDIUM: Photographs
ACQUISTION DATE: 2021
Seven color photos, with negatives, of Dunphy Park from 1975. This photo shows a playground that was apparently installed in the park at the time.
TITLE: One Sausalito Summer
MEDIUM: Printed Material
ACQUISTION DATE: 2021
"One Sausalito Summer" is a book by Colleen Rae, who lived in Sausalito for many years. This is the story of how an enclave of rock music began in the Bay Area. This is the story of how Cass and Lia visit the Charles Van Damme ferry boat. The Ark coffee house on the ferry boat is the meeting place for many rock and folk musicians.
TITLE: Fire Alarm Call Box
MEDIUM: Hard Goods
ACQUISTION DATE: 2020
This Fire Alarm call box #314, from Sausalito, is what people used to used to let the fire department know that there was a fire in progress and where the fire was located. It was given to us by Former Sausalito Fireman Bob Souza and was featured in the 2020 SHS Fire exhibit. These boxes are still found on the streets around San Francisco.
TITLE: Lange's Landing
MEDIUM: Photograph
ACQUISTION DATE: 2021
ABOUT THE ITEM: A recent acquisition by the society of a photo of the central waterfront from about 1915. The photo shows a few buildings still standing today including, the San Francisco Yacht Club (now the Trident and Ondine), the three sisters houses, and Langes Launch. Langes launch was transformed many times and was to become the “Tin Angel” run by Peggy Tolk-Watkins, then the "Glad Hand" and is presently what we now know as Scoma’s restaurant.
Lange’s Launch Co. was established by Mathias Lange. In 1907 the building that now houses Scoma’s Restaurant became the headquarters for his business offering boats for hire. Lange himself picked up the Chronicle and the Examiner from Pier 3 in San Francisco early in the morning and delivered the papers to Alcatraz, Angel Island, Tiburon, Belvedere and Sausalito and 3 times a week to Mile Rock lighthouse outside the Gate. His launches were always hard at work hauling things around, taking liveaboards from home to sailing ships and freighters, and taking servicemen to their ships for at least 30 years, including taking the crew to and from the Zaca in 1930. The Sausalito Historical Society acquired this photo through a live online auction.
TITLE: Cazadero Ferry Model
MEDIUM: Wooden Model
ACQUISTION DATE: 2021
ABOUT THE ITEM: This model of the Cazadero Ferry was donated by Richard Aufort, son of Rene Aufort, the model builder. Rene worked from photos of the ferry to construct this model in beautiful detail.
The Cazadero was a large North Shore passenger steam ferry, built in 1903, which ferried passengers between Sausalito and San Francisco until approximately 1941.
TITLE: Just Schools: The Idea of Racial Equality in America by David L. Kirp
MEDIUM: Printed Material
ACQUISTION DATE: 2021
This book, published by University of California Press in 1982, has a chapter titled “Sausalito: Sense and Sensibility.”
It was collected by Jim Scriba for the Society.