Museum: Cultural: Historical Collections

First order rotating Fresnel lens built in 1867 in Paris by Barbiere et Fenestre, installed at Point Reyes in 1870 and transferred to the park in 1975 by the U.S. Coast Guard when the automated light was installed.

NPS / Frank Ruggles

Historic objects are preserved in the collection for the purposes of research, education, and interpretation. The collection covers the time period from the late 1500s to the early 2000s. History collection areas include European Exploration Era, California Mexican Era, maritime and communications history, ranching history, and Point Reyes National Seashore Administrative history. Access to the museum collections are by appointment only.

• Contemporary scholarship examining data in the archeological record indicating first contact between Europeans and indigenous peoples of what is now the California coast, the Coast Miwok in the mid-1500s. The international importance of this cultural landscape led to the designation of the area in and around Drakes Bay as the Drakes Bay Historic and Archeological District National Historic Landmark.
• Significant portions of the history collections represent objects, artifacts, and archives related to the twelve historic cultural landscapes identified at Point Reyes National Seashore.
• Smaller collections represent the Olema Lime Kilns built in 1850 (California State Historical Landmark no. 222) by San Francisco entrepreneurs on Rafael Garcia’s Rancho Tomales y Baulines, the Navy Compass Station, the AT&T Station, prohibition, WWII, and natural disasters.
• The history collection of the Administrative History of Point Reyes National Seashore includes plaques, awards, commemorative objects, contemporary artworks, and signage of historic value. Historical records related to the administrative activities of the park are preserved in the Archives.

 

 

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Rare Worked Chinese Porcelain ...

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Examples of Ming Dynasty porcelain repurposed by Coast Miwok peoples over 500 years ago at Point Reyes.