Cesena Family Photograph Album

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: SPC-2020-032

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Cesena Family Photograph Album (1933-1978; undated) contains approximately 261 black-and-white photographs; 195 color photographs; 13 postcards; and 7 clippings featuring images of the Cesena family and their friends. A majority of the photographs were taken outside presumably during Tomás Cesena's work as a laborer because these images feature orchards, farms, and farm equipment; as well as outside of the family "home place", "Packwood" in Visalia, California, and other locations in Tulare County, California. Many of the images have captions indicating names of people and locations of featured scenes. Some captions on the back of photographs are in Spanish.

Images in this collection feature Tomás and Tranquilina "Lena" Cesena and their children: Jesus "Jess", Raymond, Florencio "Frisco", Pilar, Thomas, and Jose Maria "Joe"; as well as other Cesena family members: Lupe, Marti, David, and Mary Florence; the Cesena family dog, Piloto; grandchildren: Chris, Marc, Matt,and Jackie; and friends The Cortez family: Irene, Sonny, Nicho, Margie, Frank, Dennis, and Victor; the Marquez family: Lupe, Jess, and Juan; the Ruiz family: Dave, Irene, and Tracey; the Richards family; and the Florez family.

Other scenes depicted in this album include images taken of cars including a 1940 Mercury; the Marquez Farm; wagons and other farm equipment; Mooney's Grove Park; horses; weddings; a bridal showers; school portraits; family vacations; birthdays; picnics; and other gatherings. This album also has images of family members in military uniforms taken during their World War II military service. This includes Raymond in his U.S. Army uniform taken at Camp Roberts, images of Raymond with other soliders, images taken in Alaska, and postcards Raymond collected from Paris and Fort Lewis, Washington; Joe in his military uniform taken at Camp Roberts; images taken while Thomas was at Fort Ord; and images of Jess in his U.S. Army uniform and of pictures taken while he was at Camp White, Oregon. Some photographs were also taken at Pismo Beach, California; Monterey California; Miami, Florida; Nevada; Memphis,Tennessee; Arkansas; Arizona; Death Valley; Lake Tahoe; and other locations.

Finally, this album contains a few clippings about Cesena family members such as an article about Joe's work for the Visalia Public Works Department; Marc and Chris' Cub Scouts troop; Jackie as a member of her high school's "Letter Girls; David's work as a Visalia Unified School District bus driver; and others.

Dates

1933-1978; undated

Creator

Cesena family (Family)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Agundez “Tomás” Cesena (1869-1959), and his wife Tranquilina Arce “Lena” Espinosa Cesena (1879-1960) [sometimes notated as "Espinoza"] moved from Baja, Mexico to El Centro, California in 1903. In 1922, they moved to Tulare County. According to census records, Tomás was a "laborer" who presumably worked in orchards and farms in California's Central Valley. The Cesenas had eight children including Raymond (1912-1969), who enlisted in the military in 1942; Florencio "Frisco" (1914-1987); Pilar Cesena Bishop (1916-2013) a homemaker who married James Elliott Bishop (1899-1999) in 1962; SSGT Thomas (1918-1991) who earned a Bronze Star while in the U.S. Army; Jesus "Jess" (1921-1999) who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 in Fresno and was a staff sergeant, and was married with one son; and Jose Maria "Joe" (1929-2003) who was in the U.S. Navy, a Visalia Public Works Department employee, and was married to [Connie] and had four sons, three of which are named Chris, Marc, and Matt. Other members of the Cesena family include: Lupe, Marti, David- a Visalia Public School bus driver, Mary Florence who was married to Richard Krohn and had two children- Dennis and Michael; and Jackie.

Extent

1 box (approximately 261 black-and-white photographs; 195 color photographs; 13 postcards; 7 clippings)

Language of Materials

English

Spanish; Castilian

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains one photograph album featuring images of the Cesena family and their friends. A majority of the photographs consists of portraits of the family; images of friends the Cortez and Marquez families; images featuring orchards and farms; images taken outside the family home; photographs taken during World War II of men in uniform and images taken at various Army bases; and images taken at weddings, bridal showers, other gatherings, and family vacations. This collection also includes postcards and a few clippings.