The photos, taken during the period 1860-1920, document the entire panorama of Southern California life.
Early ones reveal a land of missions, cattle and Native American and Mexican dwellers.
Later ones unfold a tale of interurban electric railways, automobiles and the American street scene of the early 20th century. Both his own photographs and those he collec-ted, however, were in the format of glass plates. These originals are now almost impossible to use, according to Shoaf. To view them physically, researchers must flip through the images one by one, risking damage to the plates. Much more work remains to be done.