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This collection contains letters that German immigrant Christian August Weihe wrote to his parents and siblings in Herford, Germany, after he settled in San Francisco, California. He wrote regularly about his financial affairs and other aspects of his life in the United States between his arrival in California in 1849 and the year 1877.

The Christian August Weihe correspondence is primarily made up of 167 letters that Weihe, a German immigrant, wrote to his family in Germany after settling in San Francisco, California, in the mid-19th century. Also included are 2 money orders.

The Correspondence series contains Weihe's letters to his parents and siblings, who remained in Herford, Germany, after he moved to the United States in 1849. Though most of his letters are addressed to his father, Philip, Weihe also corresponded with his mother, Luise, and with his siblings, Louise and Theodor. He traveled from Germany to California between February and September 1849, and by December had settled in San Francisco, where he found work in a bank. He wrote of his life in the United States, discussing his life and finances and occasionally mentioning politics; in his letter of July 22, 1861, for example, he explained U.S. political parties. Weihe spent much of the Civil War era in Stockton, California, and later returned to San Francisco, where he became known primarily by his middle name, August. He continued to write regularly until the 1870s, then wrote less frequently through May 1897. One later letter addressed to Luise Weihe includes a brief greeting in English from his daughter Florence, who mentioned her sister's recent birthday and expressed her own desire to learn German (April 25, 1875). At least two letters were written on decorated stationery, including one from California's Highland Springs Resort, which includes a printed map with directions to the property (August 4, 1896).

The Money Orders series includes 2 money orders sent in 1854 from Goddefroy, Sillem, and Co., in San Francisco, California, to Philip Weihe via the Hamburg firm J. C. Godeffroy and Son.

Joe Sanford of Stockton, California, summarized his weekend activities for the year 1949 in this typed diary. He traveled to various places in northern California, took camping trips with friends, participated in outdoor activities, and attended dances and plays. Some entries reflect racial tensions in Stockton.

Joe Sanford of Stockton, California, summarized his weekend activities for the year 1949 in this typed diary (134 pages). The diary's frontispiece is a poem by Nick Kenny entitled "Youth."

Though he occasionally mentioned his schoolwork and grades, Sanford wrote most frequently about his social life and leisure activities, almost all of which involved his friend Glenn. They and other friends went camping, attended theatrical performances (often at the College of the Pacific) and dances, and participated in outdoor activities throughout the year. Sanford traveled around northern California, writing about trips with friends and family to Mount Diablo (April 1949), Yosemite National Park (June 1949), Santa Cruz (July 1949), and the "Old Hearst Ranch" (August 1949). He played saxophone in the school marching band and briefly participated in the Sea Scouts during the summer. Some entries refer directly or indirectly to Mexican and African-American residents of Stockton, including Sanford's attempts to communicate with persons who "spoke Mexican" and the presence of African Americans at a December school dance. Some clipped images of locations that Sanford visited and unidentified individuals participating in fishing and similar outdoor activities are pasted into the volume. Sanford's diary also contains pencil sketches of a man painting on a ladder, a birthday cake, and other subjects. A program from a school talent show is also pasted in.

The T. E. Hecht California views photograph album contains approximately 234 copies of photographs of Californian scenery originally produced by various photographers between 1856 and 1875 that were reproduced and compiled by photographer Treu Ergeben Hecht between 1890 and 1900.

The T. E. Hecht California views photograph album contains approximately 234 copies of photographs of Californian scenery originally produced by various photographers between 1856 and 1875 that were reproduced and compiled by photographer Treu Ergeben Hecht between 1890 and 1900.

The album (32 x 20 cm) has a leather spine with "Photographs" gilt stamped on the front and marbled paper cover boards. Contents are organized into geographic sections and mainly consist of street scenes, architectural profiles, aerial views, and landscape photographs documenting aspects of several Californian cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Copperopolis, Sonora, Knight's Ferry, Lake Tahoe, Cisco, Benicia, Vallejo, and Mare Island. San Francisco-related content is the most prevalent material and includes views of the Express Building, Chinatown, Russian Hill, the Mission District, Woodward's Gardens, Portsmouth Square, Telegraph Hill, Union Square, San Francisco Bay, North Beach, Broadway Wharf, the Stock Exchange, Cliff House, Market Street Railway, the Palace Hotel, and more. This album purportedly once belonged to former mayor of San Francisco James "Sunny Jim" Rolph, Jr.

Many images include handwritten captions identifying places and buildings, and in some cases the original photographer is credited. Original negatives were mainly produced during the 1850s, 1860s, and 1870s. Photographers whose works have been reproduced include George R. Fardon, Lawrence & Houseworth (later Thomas Houseworth & Co.), Eadweard Muybridge, W. M. Stuart, and William J. Shew. Two photographic reproductions of non-photographic materials are also present including a print of San Francisco with several building vignettes as well as a document titled "Proposed Plan for Completing the County Jail." Of particular note are images of people and businesses in Chinatown, the aftermath of the 1868 Hayward earthquake, the airship Avitor Hermes, Jr. prior to takeoff during in 1869, numerous views showing businesses and storefronts (including the photography studios of Silas T. Selleck, Thomas Houseworth & Co., and W. M. Stuart), and pictures of missions across California.