Marin History Museum: About MHM

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the collections

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The Collections

• Current Projects
• Boyd Gate House
• Library and Archives
• History Collection
• Photograph Collection
• Recent Gifts to the Collection
• Brady Collection

Current Projects
The Museum’s collection continues to grow thanks to the support and donations of community members and local historical organizations. Our new collections facility includes improved climate-controlled storage, more space to house important objects and archival collections. The Museum is actively working with the community to expand its collections to represent all aspects of Marin County’s history and diverse population.

Current Collections Department projects include:

Photographing and digitizing the collection
Improving storage conditions
Assessing additional objects’ conservation needs

Implementing these projects will make our holdings more accessible to curators, researchers and the public. Maintaining and updating our collections and records with current technology (i.e., digital images, barcodes) will help the museum exceed current professional conservation standards.

A Temporary Home for MHM’s Collection
In August 2005, the Marin History Museum successfully moved its entire collection out of the Boyd Gate House and into a climate-controlled facility. This rented facility provides much needed space for storage and curatorial work. The Boyd Gate House continues to be used for programs, exhibits and meeting space. Eventually, the Gate House will be restored and interpreted as a Victorian home.

Finding a temporary space for the Museum’s collection had become critical over the years. Without the ability to control temperature and moisture throughout the year, most types of materials were at risk in the Boyd Gate House. As the collection grew, our storage space shrank. Bedrooms, bathrooms and closets were packed tight with boxes and furniture, making it difficult to access most of the collection without risking damage to the artifacts.

Moving thousands of objects of all shapes and sizes was no small task. The move went very smoothly, thanks to the expertise of Farnsworth Express, the support of volunteers, interns and board members, and in-kind donations from local businesses. This project has also provided a test-run for the eventual move into a new building.

The Museum’s collection exists so that we may explore and share our history. Proper care and careful planning will ensure long lives for the irreplacable artifacts, photos and documents. The collection continues to grow, thanks to community members like you who recognize that our history is contained in the everyday objects that tell our stories.

The Boyd Gate House
The Museum is currently located in the Boyd Gate House in Boyd Park, San Rafael, California. This historic landmark was built in 1879 and was the former guesthouse of John and Louise Boyd. Their family home was Maple Lawn, the much larger estate next door, which is currently the home of the San Rafael Elks Club. The Gate House was given to the city of San Rafael in 1905 by the Boyd family in memory of their two young sons, Seth and John, who died as children. The Boyd Gate House has served as the Museum’s home since 1959 and eventually will be restored as a period home. Click here for more on the history of the Boyd Gate House.

Library and Archives
The Museum’s library and archives contain rare books, published and unpublished manuscripts, ephemera, documents, newspapers and maps related to or descriptive of the county’s land as well as the cultural and historical experiences of the people of Marin county. The library also maintains the Marin History Museum’s Oral History video collection. The library and archives aim to serve researchers, scholars and community members by providing assisted access to these materials. Click here for more information about using the Museum’s library and archives.

History Collection

Overview
The Museum’s history collection represents the cultural and historical experiences of the people, communities and land use of Marin County, past and present. The collection’s scope ranges through time and is representative of the many phases of Marin’s social, political and cultural development. The collection is comprised of utilitarian items and fine art including maps, paintings, furniture, tools, household objects and clothing. Although there is a strong emphasis on 19th and 20th century history, the museum holds items related to the Spanish Mission period, the Mexican Land Grants era, World War Two shipyards, as well as contemporary pieces related to modern-day Marin. Objects in the collection are maintained for their historical relevance and educational value, and represent the cornerstone of our exhibits.

The strength and heart of the collection lies in its connection to the local citizens, innovators, families, businesses and industries of Marin. The Collection features items from the 1906 Earthquake, two World Fairs, the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marinship, Hamilton Field, Louise Arner Boyd (arctic explorer), Northwest Pacific Railroad and Ferry Company and San Quentin Prison. Some unique items in our collection include a 17th century Spanish sword, the Verdenal pioneer journal, Louise Arner Boyd’s expedition snowshoes and artwork made by San Quentin inmates.

Charmstone

Decorative and Fine Arts Collection
The Museum’s Decorative and Fine Arts Collection includes a rare assembly of 18th century portraits of land grant recipients, their family members and early land owners. Portraits include Ignacio Pacheco (1808 – 1864) of the Rancho de San Jose land grant (now the city of Ignacio), John Joseph Reed (1837 – 1899) of the Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio land grant (now the city of Corte Madera) and John Lucas ( 18?? – 1897) of the Rancho Santa Margarita land grant (now Lucas Valley). The Decorative and Fine Arts Collection also includes early renderings of the original Spanish Mission San Rafael Arcángel, a rare Bard Brothers painting of the Steamship Saucelito (c. 1880s) and a collection of Wedgwood and Victorian furniture.

Clothing and Textile Collection
The Museum’s Clothing and Textile Collection ranges from mid-1800s pioneer clothing to contemporary fashions. This collection also includes a variety of handmade quilts and wedding dresses from the early 1900s. Also in the collection are men’s and children’s clothing and women’s accessories from the 19th and 20th centuries such as hats, shoes, handbags, fans and gloves.

Business, Industry and Transportation Collection
The Museum’s Business, Industry and Transportation Collection is an important part of the larger history collection and is representative of the growth of Marin County up to the present day. Items related to early business in Marin include silverware and a tea service from the Hotel Rafael and an 1860s safe from the Short Ranch. Industries highlighted within the collection include the U.S. military presence at the Marin Headlands, the Marinship shipyard, the Mount Tamalpais “Gravity” Railroad and the Northwest Pacific Railroad and Ferry Company.

Domestic and Household Collection
Home and family life in Marin continues to be as rich and diverse as the history of the county’s population, industry and land use. The Domestic and Household Collection has a strong emphasis on turn of the century ranching, pioneering and dairy farming, but also represents Victorian urban living. This collection ranges in scope from well-used washboards and spinning wheels to precious phonographs, silver serving pieces and china dolls. The Collection explores ever-changing household technology from butter churns to butter boxes; from spinning wheels to sewing machines; from gas lamps to electric chandeliers and from heavy iron clothing irons to electric travel irons.

Photograph Collection
The Museum’s photograph collection includes prints, negatives, glass plate negatives, film and digital images of people, landscape, structures and events related to Marin County. Selected prints are available for purchase. Click here for more information about using the Museum’s library and photo archives.

Bicyclist at Mt. Tamalpais Tavern, c. 1900.