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Photo Captions

4521 Telegraph Ave., 1948. Courtesy of the Oakland
History Room

Tillio Avanzino (left) and Elvira Avanzino, in front of 409-48th St., circa 1923. Courtesy of Ronald Avanzino

Telegraph Ave., between 41st and 42nd streets, looking southwest, circa 1967. Courtesy of the Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey

Boyscout group on special trip
to Oroville, boarding car 1023, Sacramento Northern station, 40th and Shafter, 1938.
Courtesy of Paul Smith

S H A R E D   G R O U N D ' S   N E W E S T   P R O G R A M S


Temescal History Archive / Collection

The Temescal History Archive is an initiative to collect and catalog photographs, maps, other types of two-dimensional documents, and oral interviews relating to Temescal's social history and physical development.

Since 1997, through the generosity of dozens of former and current members of the Temescal community who have lent materials for use in Shared Ground's projects, we have accumulated over 1,500 digital and physical documents. Volunteers have been cataloguing these materials in the conviction that preserving and celebrating local history deepens our sense of Temescal as a unique place, while sharing our stories with neighbors strengthens our connection to each other and across generations.

In a unique arrangement with the Oakland Public Library, the Temescal History Archive’s collection of physical documents will be making its new home at the Temescal Branch Library. The move is scheduled to take place over 2019, after which library patrons will be able to access these reference materials at the branch library.

Temescal Over Time Website / Access

More than 1,000 documents have been digitized and will be accessible to the public on the Temescal Over Time website, now under development. Documents will include photographs, maps, newspaper articles, ephemera, documentary video, and more, on a wide range of topics relating to Temescal and North Oakland. The Temescal Over Time website will also feature local walking tour guides, timelines, and information on how to research the history of your house.

Share Your History!

Are there old family photos for which you are seeking a caring home? Do you have materials relating to the history of your Temescal business, school, church, or social club? If so, share them with the Temescal History Archive.

You can choose to donate your original documents, or we can make copies of them and return the originals to you.

Any future public use by Shared Ground of material we receive from you will acknowledge you or your family as the source, and you will retain all copyrights that apply.

The kinds of materials we would like to add to the Archive include:

* Photographs
* Letters
* Postcards
* Manuscripts
* Maps
* Newspaper and magazine clippings
* School programs
* Flyers
* Old invoices from Temescal businesses
* House plans

Recent Additions to the Archive

Among the materials that recently have been shared with the Archive are:

* Over 120 documents, including photographs, flyers, newspaper articles, and teaching manuals, pertaining to the history of the Studio One Art Center, from the collection of former long-time Studio One instructor, Terry Hatcher.

* Newspaper articles, advertisements, and other ephemera from Temescal's recent past, donated by Temescal resident Dennis Brown.

* Over 50 photographs of Temescal's early days, from the collection of Temescal native and local historian Ray Raineri.

* Photographs, jourals, and other documents from the Matilda Brown Home, located in Temescal from 1873 until 2008 and one of California's earliest nonprofit organizations.

* Family photographs and other ephemera from the Avanzino family, contributed by Ronald Avanzino.

* Photographs of Temescal residential and commercial streets from the 1940s and 1950s, from the Oakland History Room.

* Photographs of the Sacramento Northern Railway and depot at Shafter and 40th Street, contributed by Paul Smith.

* Photographs of Temescal streets from the 1960s, from the Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey.

Keep in mind that documents which you think have no relevance to Temescal often can reveal something important about the neighborhood. Call us, and we will help you make that determination.

Contact us to learn more about sharing your history with the Temescal Community.

Copyright 2019 Shared Ground. All rights reserved.