Henry J. Oliva papers
Scope and Contents
These records are largely comprised of photographs depicting people, organizations, businesses, residences and scenic views of Ventura County in the first half of the twentieth century.They have been organized by theme. There are also documents and ledgers pertaining to Oliva's professional life as an accountant.
Dates
- circa 1860 -1974
Creator
- Oliva, Henry J., 1901-1986 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. Advance requests can be made to Research Library staff via email.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the MVC.
Biographical / Historical
Henry J. Oliva was born on February 19, 1901, to Joseph Oliva and Nellie Candida Oliva, both residents of Santa Paula. His father owned a saloon in Santa Paula and his mother died shortly after his birth. He was the grandchild of Giovanni and Maria Raffetto, who immigrated to the United States in the late nineteenth century from Italy and were active and prominent citizens in Ventura County. He was employed by the Bank of Italy in downtown Ventura until he opened his own accounting practice beneath the El Nido Hotel in 1933. He worked in that same office until his death at age eighty-five in 1986. He was active in many local organizations such as the Ventura Elks Lodge, Ventura County Baseball Club, and the Greater Ventura Chamber of Commerce.
Extent
1.74 Cubic Feet (1 carton, 2 legal-sized document boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Henry J. Oliva was a lifelong resident of Ventura County and worked as an accountant in the same office in downtown Ventura from 1933 to 1986. He was involved in many local organizations throughout his life such as the Ventura Elks Lodge, Ventura County Baseball Club, Native Sons of the Golden West and the Greater Ventura Chamber of Commerce. This collection is predominantly historical photographs of Ventura County along with receipts, legal documents, and ledgers from his professional and personal life.
Physical Location
COLLECTION STORED ON-SITE: Stored at the MVC Research Library. Requests do not have to be made in advance, but researchers MUST make a research appointment on theResearch Library website.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Joan C. Oliva; gift; 1988 and Henry Oliva II; gift; 1988
General
These records contain cellulose nitrate and acetate negatives. Due to their volitility, all negatives in this collection should be handled with care. Please see MVC staff for further guidance.
Processing Information
Processed by Ali Phelps under the supervision of Hannah Rogers, 2024.
Our collections are processed using MPLP methods so that we can prioritize access for users and identify potential priorities for more detailed processing. If while using our collections you think there is something that should be added or amended in the finding aid, we welcome your input. You can notify staff in the reading room or send us an email at library@venturamuseum.org. Be sure to include the collection number and name and the box number you were working with in your email.
Organization and Arrangement
The materials had been loosely organized prior to the current arrangement. Post-it notes were used to indicate possible names, years and places for many of the photos. This information has not been confirmed.
Creator
- Oliva, Henry J., 1901-1986 (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for Oliva, Henry J. papers, 1835-1974
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Ali Phelps under the supervision of Hannah Rogers, 2024.
- Date
- January, 2024
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura County Community Foundation.
Repository Details
Part of the Museum of Ventura County Repository