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November - December 2025
Volume 5, Issue 6
| | Hotel Del Monte. Irving C. and Louis Morgan. 1913 tennis tournament. | |
Francis Doud
Francis Doud is a well-known character in early Monterey. His role in the Constitutional Convention in 1849, his businesses and land holdings are well documented; MHAA owns and is preserving his 1867 home on Van Buren Street.
Recently, MHAA was given an extraordinary gift of personal items belonging to Francis Doud. These items include his Soldier’s Book issued to him upon enlistment in the army in 1840, a copy of his 1845 marriage certificate, and a very interesting letter from his brother written in 1863. Francis Doud served in the army during the Second Seminole war in Florida, and in the 1846 Mexican-American war; he was wounded in both wars.
Reproduced letter from Francis Doud’s brother, edited for clarity.
Letter from Camp near Fredericksburg, Virginia – May 19th, 1863
My dear and affectionate Brother,
I am writing to you after having received your letter last December and replying promptly, yet I have not heard back from you. This makes me uneasy, as I worry that my previous response may have been lost, possibly taken by the pirate vessel Floradie. Not having received an answer, I am now writing again, hoping this letter reaches you in California safely with God's help. I wish I could deliver it in person, but Providence has decided otherwise, at least for now. I hope that God will spare me so that I might see you before I die, for then I could die contented.
I often think that Providence has chosen both of us, out of all our family, to be wanderers. My journey seems to have been the longer one, but I continue to keep my spirits up and trust in the Almighty to protect me, as He always has in every country and climate. I have traveled through the East Indies, Australia, and New Zealand, participating in four major engagements there, and yet I have only received a minor wound in the leg.
I have endured terrible scenes in this war, always serving with the Army of the Potomac and facing the formidable forces of the South. As you know, if you received my last letter, we suffered a great defeat at Fredericksburg under General Burnside on December 13th, losing fourteen thousand men. The place is a natural fortress. Despite our defeat, we held our ground and eventually recruited and reorganized the army, receiving General Hooker as our new commander. Last month, our strength was about one hundred and twenty thousand men.
We have just endured another hard battle—the most difficult I have ever witnessed. I will try to describe it for you, knowing you, as an old soldier yourself, will understand. On the 21st of last month, the army was in good condition, and General Hooker ordered us to be ready to move out at a moment’s notice. He was to take the principal force and attempt a crossing seventeen miles from Fredericksburg at a place called United States Ford, leaving the 6th Corps (to which I belong) to protect our front at Fredericksburg. The crossing was made successfully on the 27th, and the army advanced to Chancellorsville, ten miles from the Rappahannock River, forming the line of battle with the Eleventh Corps on the right flank.
The rebels advanced, attacking the center, while Jackson led his whole division against the right flank. The Eleventh Corps, already known for being unreliable, broke in every direction, causing chaos as twenty thousand men scattered. The Southern forces pressed on, forcing those who stood their ground to give way. Fortunately, the third Corps, consisting mainly of Pennsylvania and New York men, held firm. The fleeing men were replaced by Irish soldiers from the Union States, who met Jackson’s Irish men from Louisiana. The fighting was fierce—bayonet to bayonet—resulting in seven thousand casualties. Jackson was killed in this engagement, but the break in the line forced General Hooker to fall back, though he managed to reform the line of battle.
The South brought in reinforcements totaling over seventy-five thousand men, even drawing two thousand from Charleston, but they paid dearly for their efforts.
Turning to the left flank, where the Sixth Corps was positioned, our corps numbered nineteen thousand while facing eighteen thousand enemy troops. We prepared to make a night assault. Fifty men at a time carried boats to the river and rowed across under heavy fire. Irish courage and determination prevailed as we captured the first line of rifle pits. By daylight, we were ready to attack; crossing the pontoon bridge, our artillery advanced, and the brigade stormed the enemy works. Once daylight broke, seven batteries of artillery advanced, and, with little rest on either side, the regiments fixed bayonets and charged. The defenders stood their ground until our men reached them in the trenches, leading to scores being bayoneted or captured. The 6th Corps accomplished what seventy-five thousand men had failed to do four months earlier: we took 2,600 prisoners, drove the enemy back, held the town and heights, and pursued them for four miles.
The next day, the enemy counterattacked, and we were forced to recross the river as our forces retired. We captured eight pieces of artillery; total casualties were about ten thousand, excluding our four thousand prisoners. The enemy’s losses amounted to nineteen thousand killed or wounded and six thousand prisoners. We have returned to our old camp. If not for the unreliable men in the Eleventh Corps, I believe we could have ended the conflict, as I am heartily tired of war and long for peace.
I remain in good health and still strongly resemble you, unless you have changed much since we were boys. I stand five feet eight and a half inches tall. Forgive me for expressing myself at length, but as you used to “boss” me long ago, it seems only fitting. I find myself reminiscing about our childhood, when mother (may she rest in peace) would come upstairs to scold us for making noise. I feel very lonely now, sitting under a tree, writing about our youthful pranks, with no friend by my side.
Frank, I lost our mother’s prayer book—which had been left for whichever of us returned first—during the battle of Fair Oaks last May. After the battle, when we lost everything including our guns, I sat down and cried for the loss of that book and an English Indian clasp. Please pardon my lengthy description of the battles and not inquiring sooner about my little namesake and your family. Give them my love, and I hope Thomas will never wander as much as his uncle.
I have written to James but received no answer. Please let me know if you received my last letter. When I was stationed in Manchester after arriving here, I saw some of your old sweethearts asking after you. I nearly married Catherine Burns, who lived near us on [street name], if you recall her.
Now, my dear Frank, you asked for a long letter and I hope this satisfies you. Give my regards to your wife (please excuse me, as I do not know her name), your family, and especially my namesake. Accept the same from your ever loving and affectionate brother until death.
-Gary Spradlin, President,
Monterey History and Art Association
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Christian ‘Chris’ August Jorgensen (October 7, 1860-June 24, 1935)
Hanging in Casa Serrano for the past 58 years is an oil painting of the Custom House done by Chris Jorgensen. In Mayo Hayes O’Donnell’s March 6, 1967 Peninsula Diary one finds out that “at the February meeting of the Board of Directors of the Monterey History & Art Association, held in Casa Serrano, the association’s headquarters on Pacific, an oil painting of the Old Custom House, painted by Jorgensen in 1928 was unveiled. The painting had been discovered by Myron Oliver who restored it and cleaned it and then offered it to the association. The directors purchased the painting and it is now hanging in the Casa Serrano, where visitors may see it on Saturday and Sunday afternoons each week.”
Chris was born in Oslo, Norway in 1860 to parents Ole & Sophie Jorgensen. Sadly, Ole died four years later of tuberculosis leaving Sophie alone to support the duo. In 1870 she & her son immigrated to San Francisco where she joined her brother Christian Olsen for better opportunities. On page 454 in Jeannie V. Cannon: The Untold History of the Carmel & Berkeley Art Colonies by Robert W. Edwards we learn the following about the young artist: “In the mid 1870s with a scholarship from John Ross Martin he studied art at the School of Design where he originally started working as a janitor. One of his earliest professional memberships was at San Francisco’s Graphic Club; he exhibited at the same in 1874. In the late 1870s he briefly worked in an architect’s office and received private lessons in painting from an admiring Thomas Hill. On the recommendation of another patron, Virgil Williams, he returned to the School of Design as “assistant director” between 1881 and 1883 and then borrowed twenty dollars to set up his own studio on California Street.”
In the 1880s he began offering art lessons for students in his studio. He would become engaged to one of his students (Angela Ghirardelli) in 1887. In the April 21, 1888 Oakland Tribune it was announced that “Chris Jorgensen, a watercolor artist of San Francisco, and Miss Angela Ghirardelli, daughter of D. Ghirardelli of Oakland, were united in marriage Wednesday evening at the home of the bride's sister, Mrs. Charles Sutton, at Union and Fourteenth streets. The wedding was very quiet, none but the immediate family being present. Rev. Benjamin Akerly officiated. The happy couple were to have linked their hearts next October, and their expected wedding tour was to have been a trip through Europe, but love's impatient goddess hastened human plans and so they were married this week and have gone to New York to spend the honeymoon.” They were blessed with two children: Virgil Williams in 1888 (named in honor of his artist friend who died in 1886) & Aimee (1891).
In 1899 he held an exhibition of 36 Yosemite watercolors @ the Bohemian Club. SF Mayor James D. Phelan purchased ‘El Capitan’ at that show & presented it to William Jennings Bryan.
The newly built Yosemite Valley Jorgensen home is described by Anna E. Pratt in the February 17, 1901 San Francisco Chronicle: “As one approaches, the cottage is most inviting, with its spreading ten-foot porch extending on all sides. One end is curtained and screened for an outside sitting-room. These precautions are grateful when the breezes which come from the wilderness beyond sweep down through the valley. The front door, opening directly into the studio and fine enough for a Pacific Heights mansion, demands particular attention. It is cut in two like those which swing for a well ordered barn. With this device Jorgensen opens the upper part when he goes away on a sketching trip, making the studio quite safe from stray animals and yet open to the public. It is a happy conceit which observes the very letter of the law as well as the spirit. The men who ‘freighted’ that door into the valley know that it weighs 300 pounds. Four big scroll hinges of wrought iron and a knocker add to its honest, artistic beauty.
The studio is 24 by 24, and as high as the cottage, the rafters adding their strong rough lines to the artistic interior. The finishings in wood and the furnishings in burlap are green. The wood is so arranged as to divide the walls into panels, and rice mats have been used to thatch the roof between the rafters. Nine out of ten visitors ask about this feature, for the fringing of the overlapping mats gives a new and excellent decorative effect. Three skylights are skillfully placed to prevent conflicting shadows. The fireplace is the particular delight of the room, and, best of all, the chimney draws like a magnet. This perfection was not attained, however, until after Jorgensen had spent one day playing Santa Claus. If he were as rotund as the old man from the land of the reindeer the chimney would still be smoking. The men who built the flue and each one who had anything to do with the house, took a hand in regulating the draught. After the trial fire, when there was more smoke in the room than went up the chimney, each had a prescription for the ailing chimney, but not one had a cure. In despair Jorgensen determined to correct the trouble or build a new flue. He held that if the inside could be plastered thick and slick, there would be no future difficulty, all of which was much easier said than done. Being smaller than some men, Jorgensen could squeeze himself into the chimney. By ingenious ways he managed to secure a footing at needed points, and, with his wife to hand up the plaster, as Dora did the pens for David Copperfield, he worked away steadily for several hours. Finally, when he landed back in the fireplace, the inside of the chimney was ‘hard finished’. Since then there has not been the slightest trouble.”
In 1903-1904 Chris & Angela traveled by horse & buggy along the El Camino Real to the sites of the 21 California missions. During this period it’s believed that he painted 80 mission watercolors & 21 oils. Some of these works are presently displayed in Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma. They were donated to the mission by his son Virgil Williams Jorgensen in 1950.
In 1905 Chris designed for the couple a stone house located @ Camino Real & Eighth Avenue in Carmel. He was helped with its construction by stone mason Benjamin Turner. This residence would later become today’s La Playa Hotel.
More Yosemite news was featured in the July 24, 1909 Oakland Tribune as follows: “Mr. and Mrs. Jorgensen are entertaining a house party in their delightful and picturesque bungalow in the heart of Yosemite Valley. It overlooks the dashing Merced River, and great Glacier Point, one of the most celebrated of the Yosemite peaks, looks down upon it. A wide veranda, with all sorts of easy chairs, represents the drawing room, and the dining room is charming—out in the open—by the river, among the pines.
In the studio are found the rare pictures of Yosemite—the wonderful coloring of the great cliffs of the valley representing Jorgensen’s study of many years. He knows the valley by heart, and with Mrs. Jorgensen has scaled many trails inaccessible to other people, for the Indian guides have been for years his friends. Many hundreds of tourists visit Yosemite Valley every year, and they all find their way to this famous studio, carrying wonderful tales to all parts of the world of this artist and his home and studio…The Jorgensens also have a very picturesque home at Carmel, and the most fascinating pictures that have been painted of the famous old missions are embodied in the work of this rare interpreter of California's wonderful environment. Mr. Jorgensen is at present at Wawona, where he is painting some notable pictures, among them a picture of the great monarch of the Big Tree grove.”
Chris had work displayed in the Carmel Arts & Crafts Club exhibitions in 1910 & 1911.
The Jorgensens made trips to Italy (1892-94), Mexico (1907),
the Grand Canyon (1910) and New England (1916).
Chris Jorgensen enjoyed a long career and continued painting until
his death on June 24, 1935 in his home @ 444 Mountain Avenue in Piedmont. His wife Angela died the following year on January 19, 1936. They are buried together @ Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery.
Exhibitions/Collections:
Exhibitions: San Francisco Art Association, 1884-1905;
Mechanics' Institute (SF), 1884-97; California State Fair,
1886-96 (medals); Bohemian Club, 1899-1922; Cosmos Club
(Washington, DC), 1906; Sequoia Club (SF), 1907; Del Monte
Art Gallery (Monterey), 1907-09; Rabjohn & Marcom Gallery
(SF), 1908; Alaska-Yukon Expo (Seattle), 1909; Courvoisier
Gallery (SF), 1909; Kanst Gallery (LA), 1915.
Collections: California Historical Society, Bohemian Club;
Athletic Club (Oakland); Sonoma Mission; Mechanics' Inst.
Library (SF); Orange Co. (CA) Museum; Yosemite Museum.
Michael Mazgai
Above photo: Chris Jorgensen in his Yosemite studio circa 1902 (Julius Boyson photo)
| | Chris Jorgensen 'Monterey Custom House' 1928 @ Casa Serrano | | Chris Jorgensen seated on a bench (photo Sonoma Valley Historical Society) | | Chris Jorgensen painting Wawona Tunnel Tree (Photo Pioneer Yosemite History Center) | | Jorgensen Carmel residence Circa 1906 (photo La Playa Hotel) | |
Jorgensen residence @ 444 Mountain Avenue Piedmont CA 94611 (photo realtor.com)
| | Chris and Angela Jorgensen tomb Mountain View Cemetery Oakland (photo findagrave.com) | | |
Local People
Robert Blaisdell
Celebrated Carmel photographer and filmmaker Robert Blaisdell grew up in Casa de Oro from 1938 to 1952. Robert was born in Berkeley in 1934 but never lived there. Instead, he lived his first few years on the top of Mount Diablo. Robert’s father, H. Lee Blaisdell Sr., worked as a warden for State Parks, developing new parks. Lee was working on developing Point Lobos and Pfeiffer Big Sur parks when Robert was in utero. Lee had to return to the Bay Area to finish work on Mount Diablo Park, and so Robert was born in Berkeley.
In 1937, Lee was named State Parks Superintendent for the Central District, which at the time stretched from Mendocino to Ventura and included 26 parks and monuments in nine counties. The family was slated to move into a new home built by State Parks for the Superintendent at Seacliff in Aptos. But after Will Jacks died in 1937, the Jacks family subsequently donated Casa de Oro to State Parks. Both Mr. and Mrs. Blaisdell preferred to be in Monterey, and so in 1938 they moved into Casa de Oro with their four children.
Robert recalls, “Of course, all my friends were Italian. The families were all from Sicily. There were the Cardinale boys, and all the rest of them. I used to go to school up at the Thomas Larkin School up at the top of the hill, and I would walk up every day with my friend Gaspar Cardinale, but it only went to the sixth grade. So, I had to transfer over to Walter Colton School, which was on Pacific Street in those days, and I could still walk to school. For high school I attended Monterey High. Monterey High School was just up the hill from the from the Walter Colton grade school.”
Regarding the history of Casa de Oro, Blaisdell says: “It was built by Thomas Larkin around 1845. Larkin had bought the land, and the Mexican government agreed that he owned the land but said that he had to build something on it right away. So, he built the building that became Casa de Oro. Then José Abrego bought it from Larkin, and he owned it until after the Joseph Boston store days.
Boston was a crook; he never paid his bills. He never paid anybody back that brought him all the stuff that was in his store, and he finally ran off to the Gold Country, owing everybody. Boston had hired David Jacks to work as a clerk. After Boston skipped town, Jacks made a deal with Abrego. He said let me handle this place, I'll turn it into a gambling venue and saloon, and I'll pay back what Boston owed, which he did. Jacks made a lot of money on the deal. Eventually Jacks bought Casa de Oro.”
“I think it was at the history room at Monterey library where I saw an ad for what was called the Bola de Oro. Jacks had a lottery, besides having a regular saloon and gambling. The lottery was called the Bola de Oro, the Ball of Gold. And over the years, the name transferred down to the Casa, and it became Casa de Oro.”
Blaisdell continues, “Much is made of the original safe to store gold, and the original desk. I lived in the house. There was no safe and no original desk in the house when I lived there. After David Jacks died, Will Jacks did not want to live in the Jacks mansion. So, he came down and took possession of Casa de Oro and turned it into his private residence. He gutted the place, including the floors, in a remodel. Added rooms, and also the garden. Mayo Hayes O’Donnell called it one of the finest gardens in Monterey.”
If you have a friend or relative that would like to share their story about living in or around Monterey, please contact Monterey History and Art Association at MHAA.org1931@gmail.com
| | | Casa de Oro photos taken by Robert in 1940 at age 6 | | Family photos taken at Casa de Oro | | Robert's Parents - Harry Lee and Wyima Blaisdell | | |
Peninsula Diary
Mayo Hayes O’Donnell wrote this article for the Monterey Peninsula Herald on February 8. 1963.
Peninsula Diary
‘Historic’ Seaside High
Seaside High School buildings were officially named after prominent early Californians who are still identified with historic events in Monterey in the late 1840’s and the early 1850’s. Among those who will be thus honored are: Francis Doud, Samuel Hopkins Willey, Gen. Richard B. Mason, Gen. Bennett Riley, Peter H. Burnett, Gen. Henry Walker Halleck, Robert Baylor Semple, Maj. Robert Seldon Garnett. The decision to thus honor these men was made Jan. 21 at a meeting of the board of the Monterey Union High School District.
The music building will be named for Francis Doud whose grandchildren and great-grandchildren still are residents of the Monterey Peninsula. Francis Doud was sergeant - at - arms of the Constitutional Convention held In Colton Hall in 1849. He was born in Ireland and came to California when he was 18 years old. He immediately enlisted in the U. S. Army and served in Florida during the Seminole War. He served under Gen. Bennett Riley during the Mexican War and fought through the Battles of Monterey and Vera Cruz. Because of wounds, he was discharged in 1848 and settled in Monterey. During this time, he became a close friend of Robert Louis Stevenson; renewed his friendship with Gen. Riley and helped found the Bank of Salinas.
The library is to be known as the Samuel Hopkins Willey Library. Willey was an ordained minister who came to Monterey to open a mission. Monterey was at that time the residence of the governor and Army headquarters, and Willey remained until the importance of the place passed from the organization of a state government. During this time, he became the first schoolmaster of Colton Hall and established what was probably the first library in California. He served as chaplain of the Constitutional Convention which opened Sept. 1, 1849. He established and was pastor for 12 years of the Howard Presbyterian Church in San Francisco and took an active part in the establishment of schools. Soon after his arrival in California he became interested in founding a college. On the 13th of April 1855, the legislature incorporated the College of California in Berkeley, which he had founded with Henry Durant. He became a trustee, vice president and acting president until 1869. He was regent for 40 years.
Gen. Richard B. Mason will be remembered by the Mason Gymnasium. He was the first military and civil governor of California. In 1817 he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 8th Infantry of the regular Army. On July 31, 1819, he was made a captain of the 1st Infantry, which participated in the Black Hawk War. Mason accompanied Gen. Kearney on his conquest of New Mexico and California. Upon the resignation of Kearney, Mason relieved him and became military commander of that region. His report at Monterey, Aug. 17, 1848, remains today the most authentic and descriptive story of the gold deposits in California, especially at Sutter's Fort.
The stadium in the future will be known as Gen. Bennett Riley Stadium. Riley was military governor of California in 1849. He was commissioned on Jan. 19, 1813. Until 1848, when he was transferred with his regiment to California, he spent 25 years fighting Indians, in the Black Hawk War and the Mexican War. In 1848 he was assigned the important command of the military department on the Pacific and became, ex-officio provincial governor of California. In 1849 he convened the constitutional assembly at Monterey which drew up the first Constitution for California and applied for admission to the Union. His able direction of affairs of this critical time greatly hastened the formation of the new state government in which he relinquished his authority in November 1849.
Robert Baylor Semple will be honored with his name upon the entrance to the industrial arts building. Semple was a printer who, with Walter Colton, established and published the Californian, first newspaper in the state, at Monterey. He studied dentistry, law and medicine and in 1825 he traveled west from Independence, Mo., and came to Sutter's Fort. He joined Fremont’s dragoons, only to resign to establish the weekly Californian in 1864. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and was chosen as its president.
The arts and crafts building will bear the name of Maj. Robert Selden Garnett, who designed and drew the great seal of California. He graduated from West Point in 1841, was assistant instructor in Infantry tactics at West Point, 1843-1844, participated in the military occupation of Texas and the Mexican War; 1852-54 he was commandant of cadets and instructor in military tactics. When the Civil War broke out, he resigned from the Army and entered the service of Virginia. He was commissioned brigadier general and given command of the Confederate troops. He was killed while directing a retreat from the forces under the command of Gen. McClellan.
The name of the first governor of California, Peter H. Burnett, has been chosen as the name for the special classroom. Burnett was a pioneer of California and Oregon. He had moved from Oregon to California in 1848 because of the Gold Rush and became general agent for John A. Sutter Jr. In 1849 he left the employ of Sutter and was appointed by Gen. Bennett Riley as judge of the superior tribunal of California. He took an active part in the movement for statehood and in the election, which ratified the Constitution was chosen governor. He resigned this post on Jan. 9, 1851, to follow the practice of law, and later with Sam Brannan and Joseph Winans, founded and became president of the Pacific Bank.
The general discussion classroom will be known by the name of Henry Wager Halleck. He was a signer of the California Constitution, an Army lieutenant and secretary of state under Gen. Mason and Riley. He resigned from the service in 1854, completed his study of law and became head of the leading law firm in California. He was director-general of the New Almaden, quicksilver mine, president of the Pacific and Atlantic Railroad, and major general in the California militia. He was commissioned major general in the regular Army by President Lincoln. Gen. U.S. Grant succeeded Halleck as chief of staff of the Union Armies. Halleck became commander of the Department of the Pacific in 1865. He died in 1869.
(Material supplied by the Committee on Research, Myron Greene, principal of Seaside School,
| | General Richard Barnes Mason | | | | | Major Robert Seldon Garnett | | |
LIBRARY NEWS
Mayo Hayes O’Donnell Library has a new roof – completed in September. MHAA is grateful to the Anita Doud grant funds that enabled this much-needed repair.
Work has begun in the library on developing a detailed Jo Mora resource which will compile and store references to Jo Mora from magazines, journals, museum exhibit catalogs, etc. The lists and printed material will be available at the library. 75+ issues of Game and Gossip are available online with more added each week.
Our used book stores at the library and at Stanton Center continue to be a draw for visitors and locals alike. It is a pleasure to connect people and books in this way.
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS
MHAA’s membership year is October 1 through September 30. Our renewal reminders over the last 2 months have made a difference to our organization but we still have a ways to go to achieve full membership renewal.
We appreciate all the members who have renewed and encourage those who still need to renew to please consider doing so. Member support helps MHAA to maintain our historic properties, to prepare galleries for exhibits, and provides funds for projects large and small. THANK YOU.
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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MONTEREY
FIELD TRIP
3rd graders from the International School of Monterey visited Stanton Center on Thursday, Oct 23, to see the Italian Heritage Society exhibit on Fishing History on the Monterey Bay.
The students were interested in learning more about the influences the Italian community had on the fishing industry.
A BIG THANK YOU to Robert and Jane Enea for sharing their family history and historic photographs with the children.
Each child was given a Jo Mora coloring book and a cannery tray as souvenirs of their visit.
The teacher, chaperons, and the children were appreciative of Bob's presentation and the students' questions reflected their
interest.
If any of our readers know of a school that would be interested in field trips to our museum - please let us know via our email: MHAA.org1931@gmail.com
| | | | Students learning about fishing history. | | |
Monterey History & Art Association has been selected to participate in the Monterey County Gives! 2025 campaign which starts on November 13th and runs through the end of the year. Monterey County Gives! is a collaboration between the Community Foundation for Monterey County, Monterey County Weekly, and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and is an integral part of the year-end giving season.
All funds raised for MHAA will go towards replacing the Stanton Center's HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system. The HVAC system is beyond repair and has to be replaced. This complex system ensures a healthy and comfortable environment for our visitors, and helps us preserve the art and history that have shaped Monterey County.
Please support us with a gift to help replace the HVAC system at Stanton Center. Use this link after November 13th to donate:
https://www.montereycountygives.com/mhaa
Thank you for your support!
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“On the Waterfront:
The Chris Shake Collection”
to open at the
Monterey History and Art Museum
at Stanton Center
on November 1, 2025
Step back in Monterey history and enjoy On the Waterfront: The Chris Shake Collection. This special 40-photo exhibit will be on display at the Monterey History and Art Musuem at Stanton Center (MHAA), 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey, CA from November 1, 2025 – January 25, 2026.
The connection between Chris Shake and Old Fisherman’s Wharf runs deep, with a family history spanning almost a century. Chris is one of six sons of legendary restaurant owner Sabu Shake, Sr., who founded Old Fisherman’s Grotto in the 1950s. Chris learned the restaurant business at his father’s knee from the time he was a child with the Wharf as his playground, his school, and his community.
Chris took over ownership of Old Fisherman’s Grotto after his father passed away and followed in his footsteps as restaurateur while infusing it with his own personality. He built the restaurant into a successful enterprise that allows him to give back to the Monterey community as a leading philanthropist and cultural steward. Chris champions Wharf heritage and its future as a sponsor of activities that appeal to locals and tourists, as well as holding a leadership role in the Fisherman’s Wharf Association.
Living and working in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Chris developed a keen appreciation of photography, especially images that captured the spirit, grit, and grace of the working waterfront. His extensive photo collection grew organically over the years, through both acquisition and personal encounters. Many of the photos were a gift from Bill Hyler, another Wharf business leader whose own life experiences are represented in the historical photograph collection.
The collection reflects both a visual history of Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the iconic Monterey waterfront. It is a photo essay of Chris’ personal connection to the people and places that shaped the community he calls ‘home’. Among his favorite images are candid portraits of local fishermen and vivid snapshots of daily life along the docks that have become living history.
‘I have long loved remembering the Wharf in earlier days - the people, the scenery. Looking at these photos feels like I’m stepping back in time.’ ~Chris Shake.
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Arthur Tress
Film Screening + Exhibit
On Friday October 10, Monterey History & Art Association and Center for Photographic Art jointly sponsored a screening of the film Arthur Tress: Water’s Edge, a documentary about the life, works, and creative processes of fine art photographer Arthur Tress. Tress is one of America’s top living fine art photographers. His work recently exhibited at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Still active at the age of 84, Tress lived in Cambria for 25 years prior to a recent move to San Francisco.
The screening was fabulous – the audience was fully engaged during the film, and gave a loud round of applause during the credits. Audience engagement continued into the Q&A session with Tress after the screening. Joining Tress on stage were Ann Jastrab, Executive Director for Center for Photographic Art, and Stephen B. Lewis, the filmmaker. Audience members had quite a number of insightful questions, and the Q&A session was extended 20 minutes as a result.
On Saturday October 11, Center for Photographic Art held a reception for a “pop-up” exhibit of Tress photographs. The exhibit combined recent architectural photographs with images, some iconic, from the 1970s through the 1990s. Tress spoke for about 30 minutes about various photographs on display, discussing his processes, and also a few “happy accidents” that helped him create particular images.
On both Friday and Saturday, Tress sold copies of his recent book, 100 Views of Morro Rock at cost. Book purchasers were delighted to speak one-on-one with the artist as he personalized and signed their copies
| | Arthur Tress speaking on his exhibit at the Center for Photographic Art | |
Holiday Gift Shopping at Stanton Center
Need a unique gift this season? We have Jo Mora canvas and easel sets, mugs, notebooks, pens, ornaments, candles, greeting cards, soaps, children's items, Cartes and much more. The Museum Store is open during our regular museum hours.
Stop in and see what we have!
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Monterey History and Art needs volunteers at:
Stanton Center: volunteers are needed to monitor and host events.
Casa Serrano: docents are needed to staff the adobe on Sat. and Sun. from 2-4 pm and to staff special events.
MHOD Library: volunteers are needed Wed. thru Sun. from 1:30- 4 pm to welcome visitors and help with research questions. Other tasks include: scanning material to place on our website and sharing the history of the library and Monterey.
Training will be provided for volunteers at each of these sites.
email us at MHAA.org1931@gmail.com
THANK YOU
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Rental Opportunity
Approximately 1000 sq. ft. is available for rent in the Doud House at the corner of Scott Street and Van Buren Street. This space has been used as office space and as an art studio in the past. If interested in knowing more, please contact MHAA using the association’s email: mhaa.org1931@gmail.com. Thank you.
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Come visit our exhibits at Stanton Center.
Free admission for MHAA members!
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P.O. Box 1082
Monterey California, 93942
montereyhistory.org
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