The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Archives and Special Collections (ASC) has made a variety of newly digitized materials available for exploration through Calisphere. These digital collections reflect rich histories that inform contemporary medical practices and the health sciences. They also provide a deeper understanding of the people who built UCSF and the communities it serves, as well as the artistry and activism embedded in care, and the lived experiences captured through journals and correspondence.
Lives and legacies of the AIDS epidemic
Donald Wilson (Christopher Colt) Journals, 1974–1994
8 items
Wilson, an artist who performed under the name Christopher Colt, chronicled his life in California after leaving Alabama. His journals and photographs document his creativity, illness, care networks, and resilience. The entries span his life up to his death in 1992.
Jon Miller Journals and correspondence
5 items
Jon Miller began writing shortly after his AIDS diagnosis in 1988. His reflections and letters with his longtime friend John Fleischman capture uncertainty, friendship, and determination during a rapidly evolving period in public health.
People and paths shaping community and global health
Birth Stories of Trinidad and Tobago
89 items
A multimedia project by Tammy Kremer, MA, documenting birth experiences across Trinidad and Tobago, beginning in 2018. Developed during Kremer’s Fulbright arts research grant, the collection comprises approximately 60 interviews with parents, midwives, obstetricians, and government officials, alongside original photographs by the artist.
Drawing on her expertise in public health communications and arts education, Kremer collaborated with local institutions, including the Mamatoto Resource and Birth Center, to create this comprehensive collection. The project seeks to raise awareness about birthing options while advocating for improved maternal care conditions throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
Carl Hirota Papers
15 items
A UCSF dentist whose career was interrupted by World War II incarceration at Tanforan Assembly Center and Topaz Incarceration Camp. Carl Hirota, DDS, established a makeshift dental clinic while imprisoned and returned to his community after the war.
Related resources
Choh Hao-li Hormone Research Lab
Newly digitized film depicting activities and staff of the Choh Hao-li Hormone Research Lab added (undated).
St. Joseph College of Nursing records
48 items
From a hospital founded in 1889 to a nursing college active through 2015, this collection reflects decades of professional identity and patient care in San Francisco.
UCSF History through photographs, research films, and creative works
UCSF History Collection
4,633 items
Campus construction. Lab discoveries. Classrooms. Clinics. This growing set of photographs and documents illustrates UCSF’s transformations as a world leader in health research and education from 1864 to 2010.
UCSF Committee on Arts and Lectures Records
90 items
Photographs, programs, and transcripts provide evidence of the vibrant community at UCSF between 1939 and 1972.
UCSF Class Plays Collection
32 items
Selections of audiovisual recordings documenting the class plays and talent shows of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy students.
UCSF Library Makers Lab: 3D-Printed Face Shields
80 items
When COVID-19 surged, the UCSF Library Makers Lab pivoted quickly to produce face shields for UCSF hospitals. Photos, videos, and documentation capture this rapid, community-driven response.
Minnie Berelson Goldberg Papers
9 items
Collection includes Minnie Berelson Goldberg’s, MD, bibliography, autobiographical statement, certificates and medals, book reviews, correspondence, an unpublished article, and newspaper clippings. It also documents her education at University of California, Berkeley (AB, 1921), her 1925 graduation from the UCSF School of Medicine, and her internship and residency at the University of California Hospital.
Bernard Zakheim Collection
16 items
Collection of artist Bernard Zakheim, predominantly related to the creation and restoration of Zakheim’s Toland Hall and Cole Hall murals at the University of California, San Francisco.
