California Historical Society Archival Event Series

In January 2025, in partnership with Stanford University Libraries, the Bill Lane Center for the American West helped to acquire the California Historical Society (CHS) Collection, an archive of more than 600,000 items that preserve California state and local history. With documents, photographs and artifacts dating back to the early 18th century, the collection is a rich repository for scholars eager to plumb its depths. As more archival research is conducted, the Lane Center looks forward to producing meaningful events showcasing all the work that is bound to emerge from this treasure of resources from California's past. The California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, as it is now known, is accessible to the public and academics. In bringing it to life through various lectures and programs, we hope to share the archives' many riches with all those who care about the past, present and future of California and the larger American West.