His thoughtfulness and concern for each individual library patron also came across in any discussion. John will be truly missed. In celebration of the California State Library's 150th anniversary the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento is displaying over 100 rare and fascinating objects from the Library's holdings. Rich, Rare and Curious features highlights from the collection from 1850 to the present. The exhibit also features a magnificent 1666 map of California depicted as an island, and James Marshall's hand-drawn sketch of where he first discovered gold.
Several documents reflect the struggles and successes of the state's diverse population.
From its inception the State Library collected rare books. This collection was supplemented in 1913 when the heirs of Gold Rush merchant and San Francisco Mayor, Adolph Sutro, presented his magnificent rare book and manuscript collection to the State Library. William Bligh's 1787 drawing of the H.M.S. Bounty. Also exhibited and of special interest to the legal profession is the first law book produced in the Western Hemisphere. Ordenancas y Copliasion de Leyes was printed in Mexico in 1548.