History
The History Department is committed to preservation, research, and public access that enable people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests to understand and appreciate the history and culture of California and the West, with an emphasis on Southern California.
Researchers are encouraged to use the History collections for scholarly, personal, or commercial use according to the policies and procedures for each of the collection areas listed below.
Though the subject areas of these sections frequently overlap, the History Department collections are administered according to format:
- Seaver Center for Western History Research (two-dimensional, flat objects)
- Material Culture (three-dimensional objects, including the Automotive Collection)
- The William S. Hart Collection (two- and three-dimensional items from the William S. Hart Museum) has been transferred to the City of Santa Clarita. Please contact HartMuseum@santaclarita.gov for collections inquiries.
Search our Collections
Visit collections.nhm.org to search object information and images for selected collections from the Seaver Center for Western History Research.
Collection guides, finding aids, and documentation for collections in the Seaver Center for Western History Research are also available in the Online Archive of California.
FAQs
Our Staff
John M. Cahoon, M.A.
John Cahoon assists visiting researchers and answers public inquiries about the center’s two-dimensional collections, which often results in publications about Los Angeles, California, and the West.
William D. Estrada, Ph.D.
Dr. Estrada holds a Ph.D. in History from University of California, Los Angeles and is a social and cultural historian, specializing in nineteenth and early-twentieth-century Los Angeles.
Taryn Haydostian
Taryn works on various projects in the History Department, primarily in the Seaver Center for Western HIstory Research.
Briyana Negrette
Briyana assists with various projects in Material Culture and the Seaver Center for Western History Research.
Beth Werling, M.A.
As Collections Manager for the History Department's Material Culture division, Beth has overall responsibility for the management of the department's wide range of three-dimensional artifacts.
CONTACT US
For questions, please contact us at seavercenter@nhm.org.