The California and the West study group consists of Institute members with a particular interest in the history of our region. Often we find our areas of research overlap, leading to new insights and resources. Past presentations by members have covered such topics as the roles of different ethnic groups in San Francisco history, women’s religious orders, the history of the League of Women Voters in Berkeley, art and museums in San Francisco, the Grabhorn Press, and individuals of historical note.
Increasingly, we have been organizing day trips, open to all Institute members, to points of historical interest in the Bay Area. Recent excursions included a visit to the trove of historical research venues clustered around Sacramento, a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed San Rafael Civic Center complex, and a tour of Jack London State Historical Park in Sonoma County followed by a program put on by the Glen Ellen Historical Society. On another occasion, we visited the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum and the McCune Collection of the history of fine printing.