David F. Selvin photograph collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of photographs gathered by Selvin in his role as editor of Northern Califonia Labor, a labor newspaper he founded in 1951. Other photographs were used in several books and articles Selvin authored related to labor history, in particular, his 1996 book, A Terrible Anger: The 1934 Waterfront and General Strikes in San Francisco.
Many of the photographs in this collection are reprints from various repositories including the National Archives, the Library of Congress, Wayne State University, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and the California Historical Society.
Dates
- 1861-1991
- Majority of material found within 1960-1980
Creator
- Selvin, David F. (Person)
Availability
Collection is open for research.
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Labor Archives and Research Center. All requests for permission to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Labor Archives and Research Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Biographical note
David Selvin (1913-2007) was a noted labor journalist, historian, author and activist. Selvin was working on a M.A. in Labor Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, when the 1934 Waterfront and General Strike shut down the docks in San Francisco. He later wrote about this period in his book, A Terrible Anger: The 1934 Waterfront and General Strikes in San Francisco. In 1951, after writing about labor issues for various San Francisco-based newspapers, Selvin took a job at the San Francisco Labor Council as editor ofNorthern California Labor, a position he held for nearly 30 years. Selvin authored several books about labor history and labor leaders, includingSky Full of Storm: A Brief History of California Labor, A Place in the Sun: History of Californian Labor,The Other San Francisco, and The Thundering Voice of John L. Lewis. Selvin was also involved in the formation of both the Labor Studies program and the Labor Archives and Research Center at San Francisco State University.
Extent
5.5 Cubic Feet ( (10 boxes and 1 oversize box))
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arranged in five series: Series 1, Unions, is arranged alphabetically by union name. Series 2, General Subjects, is arranged alphabetically by subject. Series 3, Individuals and Groups, is arranged alphabetically by individual's last name. Series 4, Published Works, and Series 5, Miscellany, are arranged as received.
Location
Vault: 01:02:D-F; 13:03:D (oversize box 1)
Aquisitions
Photographs were donated with the David Selvin papers in 1985, accession number 1985/002.
Format of Materials
The bulk of the materials comprise black and white prints of various sizes. Also includes negatives, contact sheets, and half-tone prints as well as correspondence pertaining to Selvin's aquisition of some of the photographs.
Processing Information
Processed by Labor Archives and Research Center staff; revised by Frances Wratten Kaplan in 2016.
- International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union -- Pictorial works
- International Longshore and Warehouse Union--Pictorial works
- Labor union members -- Portraits.
- Labor unions -- California -- San Francisco -- Photographs.
- Labor unions -- Membership -- Photographs.
- Photographs.
- Picketing -- Photographs.
- Retail Clerks International Union. Local 1100 (San Francisco, Calif.)--Pictorial Works
- Retail Clerks International Union. Local 648 (San Francisco, Calif.)--Pictorial Works
- Service Employees International Union -- Pictorial works
- Strikes and Lockouts -- Hospitals -- Photographs.
- Strikes and lockouts -- California -- San Francisco -- Photographs.
Creator
- Selvin, David F. (Person)
- Title
- Finding Aid to the David F. Selvin Photograph Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Frances Wratten Kaplan
- Date
- 2000, revised 2016.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in: English.
Repository Details
Part of the Labor Archives and Research Center Repository
San Francisco State University
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 460
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco 94132-1722 USA
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu