Putting a book like this together requires the resources of many people and collections. The main supply came from the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society archives that have over 6,000 historic photographs of the city and surrounding area. These have had an impact on this town’s cultural history, and without the collection this book would not have been possible. The society started out with about 200 photographs. When the board of directors decided to have these images organized in a manner that researchers and visitors to the O’Neill Museum could view, many people and businesses opened their collections and files. They either donated their treasured photographs or permitted the society to copy them. Many of the people obtained their images from other sources—some known, and some unknown. The following is just a few of those who generously allowed the society to own and make copies available to the media, collectors, individuals, businesses, researchers, and other authors for their publications:
The Bowers Museum, Ysidora Brower, the City of San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association, Gep Durenberger, Mary Cook Elliott, Tony Forster, Dagmar Geach, Pamela Hallan-Gibson, Fred Hunn, Willis Hardy, Virginia Webb, Elarion Hernandez, E. L. Howell, William McPherson, Dolores Meeker, Richard Mendelson, the Mission San Juan Capistrano, Julian Ramos, Jerome Nieblas, Carmen Oyharzabal, Rancho Mission Viejo, Salvador Villegas, and Alfonso Yorba.
These are only a few of the contributors, as the list could be much longer. Many of their donations are featured in this book. Our thanks to the many sources, as none of them had ever requested any recognition—only the satisfaction that the images would be made available to the public. We particularly thank the Irvine Museum, who loaned photographs for this book.
Please visit the San Juan Capistrano website at www.sanjuancapistrano.org.
—Pamela Hallan-Gibson
Don and Mary Tryon