Photographs of DOROTHEA LANGE: Richmond 1942-1944
Photos in the exhibit come from the Dorothea Lange collection, Oakland Museum of California, City of Oakland, Gift of Paul S. Taylor.

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 8, 3-4 p.m.
Talk by Christina Gardner, photographer
Dorothea Lange’s friend and assistant

When the Kaiser Shipyards opened in December of 1940, Richmond was a small, quiet industrial city. 24,000 people lived in single family homes spread over the sprawling bayfront city. But after Henry Kaiser opened his shipyards, Richmond experienced a boom in its population and a drastic change in its racial makeup over the next five years. By the conclusion of World War II, Richmond had a population of more than 100,000 people.

Dorothea Lange began to take pictures in Richmond in 1942 and continued through 1944 on an assignment from Fortune Magazine to document the efforts on the Home Front. During this period, Lange took roughly 300 photographs. In doing so she captured the dynamics of a city experiencing not only a population change, but a racial, social, cultural, and economic overhaul as well. Her pictures show a bustling Richmond; a Richmond with booming bars and packed movie theaters, men and women of all colors working together in the war effort, the trailer camps that sprung up on the outskirts of the city to house the shipyard workers, and the general impact of the war on the city of Richmond and the people who worked and lived there. Her photographs serve as a means of remembering the drastic changes that occurred here in Richmond during a time of world crisis.

Ongoing

Wednesday thru Sunday, 1-4 pm

The museum has received a fresh coat of paint and looks great!. Inside, we are now showing our WW II exhibit in the Main Gallery. This is now part of our permanent display. In the coming months we will be adding elements to the main gallery which will showcase the post-war years in Richmond. Stay tuned to the calendar to find out what is planned for 2011.

August 7 - October 1, 2011

Exhibition: "Richmond Day at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, August 7, 1915" (celebrating Richmond's 10th anniversary of incorporation)

On Saturday August 7, 1915, the Panama Pacific International Exposition held a special day for the city of Richmond, which was celebrating its tenth anniversary as an incorporated city. The day was simply called “Richmond Day”. In preparation for this day, the city of Richmond held numerous meetings, which can be seen in the museums copies of the Richmond Independent, to discuss how the city should present itself. On August 7th, hundreds of Richmond residents were ferried over to the Exposition to celebrate Richmond’s tenth anniversary. There was a parade organized by the city and special exhibits about the city of Richmond. Richmond’s mayor E.J. Garrard was in attendance along with many other important city officials and residents.

The Panama Pacific International Exposition was the 1915 worlds fair held in San Francisco, California. The exposition was constructed on a 635 acre plot of land along San Francisco’s northern shore (now known as the marina). Taking over three years to complete, the fair had great economic implications for the city that had been almost destroyed by the great earthquake and fire of 1906. The exposition was a tremendous success, and did much to boost the morale of the entire Bay Area and to help get San Francisco back up on its feet.  

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Exhibition: "Historical Treasures: 100th Anniversary of the Carnegie Building"
(featuring Richmond artifacts & documents, ca. 1870-1910)

The 100th Anniversary Exhibit takes one through Richmond’s history up to 1910, illustrating it with garments worn by its citizens, original newspapers describing the area, its growth, the acquisition of the Carnegie grant, and the building of the library and the many related celebrations. Memorable photographs of those persons responsible for important roles in this development phase of Richmond are prominently displayed in recognition of their civic contributions to Richmond.

On display are actual banking records from the former Bank of Richmond, a newspaper article from the Richmond Independent on the dedication ceremony for the Carnegie building, as well as various clippings from the Richmond Women’s Improvement Club on the Carnegie building. There are artworks of local artists like Alan Beckwith and various mechanical items of individuals who once lived in the area. Proudly displayed is national recognition of Richmond as “The Pittsburg of the West” with its new industrial economic innovations of the time. There is even a certificate signed by President Theodore Roosevelt appointing the first Postmistress of Richmond. Giving life to the building itself are two pieces of original ornamental decorations that were once a part of the outside moldings.

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Exhibition: "One Small Story from Richmond's Hidden History. Japanese American Nurseries."
(from Museum, Sakai, Oishi and Maida Archives)

Located in the Seaver Gallery, this installation features photographs and archival objects illustrative of the Japanese American cut flower business that thrived in Richmond for most of the 20th century. The exhibition represents a “small story” of a complex, partly forgotten history of success and perseverance, focusing on three families engaged in tending and selling a variety of flowers for local and national consumption.

The exhibition offers a glimpse of the cut flower nurseries and growers through an informative arrangement of material. Pictures depicting some aspect of the life and work of the Sakai, Oishi and Maida families are displayed adjacent to corresponding objects. One example is a photograph of schoolgirls adjacent to a school yearbook. Blueprints, account books, and a desk constructed during the Japanese internment by Tom Oishi are just a few of the many items selected for viewing. The exhibition is designed to be an instructive event for the visitor interested in an important chapter in Richmond’s cultural and social history.

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