The California State Archives' collections document the broad scope of California government and its impact on the people of the state. Over 105,000 cubic feet of records of all types are represented including millions of documents and bound volumes, 20,000 maps and architectural drawings, 250,000 photographs, 7,500 video and audio tapes, as well as hundreds of artifacts. Some of our more prominent collection areas are listed below. To search more collections, try our online descriptive catalog Minerva. In addition, finding aids that describe our processed collections are available on the Online Archive of California.
Under California Government Code section 12237, after January 1, 2005, all items 75 years old or older that are on deposit in the State Archives shall be accessible to the public. This code section applies to items in the custody of the State Archives and any item deposited in the State Archives after January 1, 2005.
Please contact the Reference Desk for more information about our collections.
California Constitutions
Governor's Records
Legislative Resources
State Agencies and Constitutional Officers Records
Trademarks
Family History Resources
Spanish and Mexican Land Grants
Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Investigation Records
Local Government Records
Photograph Collections
Oral Histories
Supreme and Appellate Court Records
Private collections related to elections and political campaigns.
The working files of two private political consulting firms, Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns, Inc. and Braun & Company, are also part of the Archives' collections.
