About the Collection

The development of Hooked on Los Gatos - the Library and Museum History Project digitized database is a collaborative effort between Los Gatos Public Library and The Museums of Los Gatos, with collections of the two institutions forming the core of the project. Additionally, many individuals, families, and organizations have generously shared their photo archives in order to preserve and make accessible the cultural memory of the town.


Collections are primarily composed of photographs, but also include maps, letters, postcards, scrapbooks, programs from events, and other materials of historic interest. In using these images and for reprints, please refer to the Reproduction and Use Policies. In all cases, please give credit to Hooked on Los Gatos - the Library and Museum History Project and to any additional credits that may be indicated in the information included with the photograph or image.


What's in the Collection?

With nearly 6,000 images online, it may be easiest to gain an overview of what's available by using the BROWSE command that appears on the "splash screen" or introductory page of the site. You can also click on one of the subjects indicated on that first screen, or enter any term you wish in the search box. After you have typed a word or words in the search box, click on "SEARCH." You will receive hits on every mention of those words in the entire database.

Some of the larger digitized collections include the following:

John Baggerly Collection
John Baggerly was a beloved local newsman who wrote local history articles for the Los Gatos Weekly Times for many years. His "Pictures From the Past " pieces were a Town favorite.

Education
Hundreds of class photographs, taken between 1936-1957, are available for viewing under this subject heading. If you attended school in the Los Gatos Union School District during those years, enter your name to see your class photo.

Hamsher Collection
The Hamsher Collection consists of approximately 100 historic photographs, many currently hanging on the walls of Los Gatos Library, in the lower level. Most were copied from original images taken between the late 1860s and 1920. Clarence Hamsher was a banker who was elected President of the First National Bank of Los Gatos in 1927. He was also an avid local historian with an intense interest in preserving the past. Mr. Hamsher collected these photographs in the 1920s, had them framed, and hung them on the walls of the bank building. When the bank was purchased by the American Trust Company in 1955, the photographs were presented to the library as a gift.

Los Gatos Death Records
Local Certificates of Death issued by the California State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics from 1905 - 1933. A few of the deaths recorded here occurred as early as 1875, with this paperwork prepared at the time of removal from the Old Los Gatos Cemetery on Cemetery Lane to the New Los Gatos Cemetery on Los Gatos-Almaden Road in the early years of the 20th century.

Local History Mysteries
Of the thousands of historic Los Gatos photographs scanned, only a fraction were originally identified and dated. Research is ongoing at the library to create accurate metadata to accompany each image as it is added to the database. Can you help identify or date any of these mystery photographs? Please send an email to history@losgatosca.gov with your facts or suggestions.

Los Gatos Pageants
The Los Gatos Pageants ran most years from 1919 - 1947. These large outdoor plays were staged on the Pageant Grounds behind the current Civic Center buildings. This collection contains programs from most of the productions, and rare photographs of the actors and elaborate sets.

Residences and Historic Homes Map
176 historic Los Gatos homes are featured in this collection. An accompanying map, developed by Adult Services Librarian Henry Bankhead, allows you to quickly locate homes and includes satellite views.