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Berkeley History
Visit the Berkeley History Room!
Open Hours: Wednesdays 10am-1pm
To visit outside of open hours, please make an appointment by calling 510-981-6100 (and asking to speak with someone from the History Room) or by email.
Located inside the Central Library in the Southeast Corner of the 2nd Floor Historic Reading Room, the Berkeley History Room contains a non-circulating collection covering all aspects and periods of Berkeley history, including geography, politics, arts and architecture, people, businesses, organizations, and social groups. The collection includes printed books and other media about Berkeley as well as institutions and organizations in and around Berkeley, a clipping collection from various publications (mainly from newspapers and mainly from the 1920s to circa 2000), local newspapers and newsletters, local governmental and quasi-governmental publications concerning the area and local issues, as well as selected photographs, flyers, recordings, posters, maps, and City documents. The Berkeley History Room collection includes selected San Francisco Bay Area materials related to Berkeley history, and it maintains an archive of Berkeley Public Library history.
Research Topics
Here are a few of the common reference queries and research topics we can assist with in the Berkeley History Room:
- Ancestral and geneological research via Ancestry/census records
- Housing and/or architectural research via Sanborn Maps
- Berkeley social, political, economic, and cultural history
- Public transit history in Berkeley
- Obituary and other searches in historic local print media
Special Collections
In addition to a large collection of books and other catalogued media which can be found in the Berkeley Public Library online catalog under "Shelf Location: History Room," the Berkeley History Room maintains a number of non-circulating special collections:
- Berkeley Public Library clipping files: A collection of newspaper clippings, flyers, and other ephemeral material documenting people, organizations, and events in Berkeley, California. Includes numerous biographical files and information on neighborhoods and institutions, organizations, and committees active in Berkeley. The materials are organized alphabetically by main topical area and are dated 1920-2005, with the bulk from 1980-2000. View a detailed finding aid for all collection contents and subject headings.
- Historic Map Collection: A collection of historical Berkeley maps. Includes multiple volumes of Sanborn Maps, tract and housing maps, ecological and topographical maps, census maps, and more. The materials are dated pre-1909 until the present.
- Historic Poster Collection: A collection of historical posters and flyers. Posters relate to music history, arts and cultural events and festivals, political and
- Berkeley Daily Gazette microfilm (1894-1984)
- Berkeley Public Library history
- Berkeley High School "Olla Podrida" yearbooks (1943-), select Berkeley Junior High and Elementary School yearbooks, UC Berkeley "The Blue and Gold" Yearbooks (1886-2006)
- Underground/alternative newspapers such as Berkeley Barb, Berkeley Tribe, Good Times, East Bay Express, Herstory, and more
- Historic Photograph Collections
- Shades of South Berkeley photograph collection: A collection of copies of photographs from family albums and personal collections documenting daily life in Berkeley of Black, Asian American, and other non-white communities. Much of the materials covers the first three-quarters of the 20th century. Includes materials from the personal collection of numerous Berkeley residents including Joseph W. Charles (the "Waving Man"), Betty Reid Soskin, Euradee Maybuce, Fumi Hayashi, and several others. View a detailed finding aid for all collection contents and subject headings.
Berkeley History Digital Links:
Digital Underground Press Collection
The Berkeley Revolution: Berkeley in the 1970s
The Black Panther Party in Berkeley: A Brief History and Firsthand Accounts
Historic Berkeley Maps
Access maps from 1856 to the present, information about transportation, streets and neighborhoods.
How Old Is My House - Who Used to Live There?
How Do I Find Out About My House…When was it built?Who lived there?Who was the architect?
1. The very best local resource for property/architectural-related questions is BAHA—Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. They have resources (photos, building permits, real estate info, clippings) arranged by neighborhood, blocks, and specific addresses. There is a fee for this service.
2. The Berkeley Historical Society has "Block Books," which contains the early owner(s) of your land once it was subdivided.
3. If you know the name(s) of previous owners, try historic telephone books or city directories (both are in the Berkeley History Room, and many are on this webpage). Working backwards, you may discover important details about the residents.
4. Reverse directories from 1981 to present are also are a great resource and are located in the Berkeley History Room. In addition, a handful from the 1960s & 70s are held by the Berkeley Historical Society - BHS.
5. Don’t forget about census records—we have 1860 to 1930 for Berkeley on microfilm - and via Ancestry FOR FREE at the Central Branch Library. These records are arranged by address, and contain A LOT of information about all the residents at any particular address. Use the indexes to the left to discover which enumeration districts you house was located in for censuses older that 72 years. For more information or assistance with this process, call the Reference Desk at 981-6148 for a Berkeley History Room appointment.
6. Consult the Sanborn maps in the Berkeley History Room from 1890, 1894, 1911, 1929, and 1950 (original copies also exist at BAHA and BHS). These maps will show you what buildings were where, and (particularly the 1911 edition in the History Room) can hint at when the building was built – either before 1911, sometime between 1911 and 1929, or after 1929.
7. Ask at the Reference Desk for assistance in locating any of these items and agencies.
Berkeley High School Yearbooks & News
Digital copies of the library's collection of yearbooks can be found here. The actual items are in the Berkeley History Room waiting for you.
Berkeley Jr. High Schools Yearbooks
Berkeley's Jr High Schools & Middle School Yearbooks can be found here.
Included: The Gleaner from Garfield & Martin Luther King, The Target from McKinley & Willard and the Burbank Wizard.
Berkeley Obituaries
The Berkeley Obituary Index is an index to death stories and obituaries of Berkeleyans, both famous and not, contained in the Berkeley Daily Gazette. Currently available years: 1894-1912, 1920, 1923, 1925, 1930-1942, 1951, 1955, 1959-1965, 1967, 1970-1971, 1977-1980 & 1982.
Berkeley History Photo Archive
Access annotated and digitized historical photos, images and maps from our Berkeley History Room.
Calisphere
Photographs, documents, newspaper pages, political cartoons, works of art, diaries, transcribed oral histories, advertising, and other unique cultural artifacts — reveal the diverse history and culture of California and its role in national and world history.
Special Collections
Berkeley's public schools were among the first in the nation to voluntarily desegregate. View some local desegregation stories here.
The Berkeley History Room has the Berkeley Junior Traffic Police Archives, a collection of newspapers clippings, photographs, service records of participants from the 1930s to the 1960s, and a BJP flag.
The Swingle Collection is a collection of some 300 items mostly from 1842-1942 all to do with Berkeley's past, culture and development. Owing to its age and sometime fragile condition, this collection requires an appointment to view. An index can be found here.