How many people are looking at these collections?

The UCSC Library Digital Collections had 11,447 page views in July 2015:

UCSC Library Map Collections	2523
UCSC Library Regional Oral History Collection	1482
UCSC Campus History - Photographs and Maps	1088
Branson DeCou Digital Archive	1073
Lick Observatory Digital Archive	980
Organic Farming-Sustainable Agriculture Oral Histories	764
Dibblee Digital Geologic Map Collection	674
UCSC Library Aerial Photographs	658
Hihn-Younger Archive	653
UCSC Campus History - Publications	561
Harry Mayo Surfing Photography Collection	395
Santa Cruz County History Digital Collections	328
Ansel Adams Photographs	146
Performing Arts Collections	122

In the Map Collections, the most popular item by far (viewed 142 times!) was the 1906 map of Santa Cruz County, drawn by the Punnett Brothers firm of San Francisco. The map shows not only roads and railways, but also land ownership with acreages, townships, school and supervisors districts, and the old Spanish and Mexican ranchos.

In the Regional Oral History Collection, visitors looked most at the oral history transcripts of  Professor Priscilla "Tilly" Shaw (literature faculty from 1966 to 1993),  Karen Sinsheimer (wife of former chancellor Robert Sinsheimer) -- both of whom recently passed away--, and the early histories of Oakes College and the Farm and Garden Project.

In the Branson DeCou collection, the most popular item was a scenic view of a desert landscape: Colorado Desert, California: landscape with sand verbena (Abronia villosa) and other shrubs. Perhaps visitors are looking for drought-resistant landscaping ideas!

 

University of California, Santa Cruz. McHenry Library, Special Collections, DC1.815.0038L

Cuba in 1932

The United States reopened its embassy in Havana today, 54 years after it closed. Here is the New York Times' report, with a very moving video clip by Wayne S. Smith, one of the last living diplomats to see the embassy close in 1961:

U.S. Embassy in Cuba Reopens After More Than 50 Years

By Azam Ahmed

In 1932 Branson and Elsie Decou visited Cuba. It was a turbulent time: the dictator Gerardo Machado was struggling to maintain power in the midst of an economic downturn. (He would be ousted in a US-supported coup the following year.) The DeCous photographed historic sites in Cuba, such as the 16th-century Morro Castle, and also newer sites, such as the new national highway and the Hershey Company sugar refinery.

Branson DeCou images of Cuba, 1932.

Havana street scene, with "Café La Puertorriquena", other cafés and shops

University of California, Santa Cruz. McHenry Library, Special Collections, DC1.815.0038L

Professor Charles Xavier at UC Santa Cruz

In February 1976 five members of England's Royal Shakespeare Company visited UC Santa Cruz for three days. They offered workshops to students in English literature and theater arts, and performed programs for the Santa Cruz community. The actors were Bernard Lloyd, Charles Keating, Lisa Harrow, Tony Church and Patrick Stewart. Although he continues his brilliant stage career, Stewart is also famous now for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994), and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series (2000- ).

University of California, Santa Cruz. McHenry Library, Special Collections, UA 50 neg_sc5966a_09

The photographs in our collection were taken on behalf of the Public Information Office on February 20, 1976, and show the actors with students.

Royal Shakespeare Company actors visit UCSC