Don Bernardo Yorba’s House, c. 1910 Unknown Photographer; Santa Ana Canyon, California Photographic print; 8 x 10 in. 8478 Gift of Mr. Terry Edward Stephenson, Sr. Variations of a City In both Forged in Fire Safety: The First Santa Ana Fire Department  and A Beginner’s Guide to Santa Ana Street Names  the Bowers Blog has previously looked...

Map of Santa Ana, 1915 Clyde D. Butler and Geo L. Bates; Santa Ana, California Paper and ink; 20 × 25 5/8 in. 17481 Bowers Museum Permanent Collection Spurgeons, Surgeons and Spurred Dons For those of us who live in, work in or enjoy any of the myriad offerings of Santa Ana, we have spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours traversing the county se...

School Children on Float, July 4, 1890 Unknown Photographer; Santa Ana, California Photographic print; 8 x 5 in. 2983 Gift of Mr. William McPherson July the Fourth Be with You There is a lot to like about the Fourth of July. Family, friends and neighbors all come together for a day of celebrating this country’s birth with sumptuous barbeque, plenti...

Fishing Hook, late 19th to early 20th Century Iñupiaq culture; Seward Peninsula Area, Alaska Walrus ivory, lead, iron and cotton thread; 2 1/4 × 4 1/8 in. 39352 Gift of Winifred P. Morgan Let’s See What’s Biting, Champ Some dads fit all the clichés. They are handy when something needs fixing, quick with a pun but otherwise tactful enough to let mom...

Hook and Ladder Volunteer Firemen of Santa Ana, May 1, 1888 Photo by B. F. Conaway; Santa Ana, California Photographic print; 8.5 x 5 ¼ in. 2821 Gift of John Luxembourger Sunny Santa Ana California William H. Spurgeon and his wife spent a few years in the early 1860s living in Los Angeles until she passed away. Heartbroken, he moved back to the Eas...

Saint Ann's Inn and Grounds, 1920s Edward W. Cochems (American, 1874-1949); Santa Ana, California Photographic print 35558.7 Gift of Mr. Eldon G. McNeil Valentine’s Day It’s that day we love to love! Measured in bouquets of flowers, squares of chocolate and cards swarming with weapon-toting winged babies, Valentine’s Day is truly a holiday cherubbe...

Bowers Museum’s Bell Tower, c. 1932 Edward W. Cochems (American, 1874-1949); Santa Ana, California Photographic print; 11 x 14 in. 38107.11 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Borders Same Blog, New Home This week the Bowers Blog is happy to announce a re-release on a new platform! As we continue to improve the way in which we share our collections, we ...

Floyd E. Stewart Performing Magic, c. 1936 Edward W. Cochems (American, 1874-1949); Santa Ana, California Photographic print; Various Dimensions 36247.3,.4 Gift of Mrs. Weston Walker April Fools bring May LOL’s It takes a rare skill to fool others, especially in a way which delights and entertains rather than leaves one somehow feeling cheated. The...

Folding Pocket Camera No. 3A, 1903-1914 Eastman Kodak Co.; Rochester, New York Metal, glass, wood, and leather; 9 ½ x 4 ¾ x 1 ¾ 40633 Gift of Mr. Gurdon Wattles Expedition Prep.   The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917) stands to date as one of the greatest survival tales of all time. Best told in Endurance: The Antarctic Legacy of...

Untitled (Tom Morris, Sprinter) B.F. Conaway Studios; Santa Ana, California Albumen Print Cabinet Card; 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 in. 5788 Photograph of Tom Morris, a world famous sprinter during the 1890's. During the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 Morris exceeded all previous sprinting records. He lived for many years in Santa Ana disappearing suddenly and rem...