Welcome to the Richmond Museum of History & Culture (RMH&C), your gateway to uncovering the fascinating history of Richmond, California.
Dive deep into the past through our extensive collection of primary resources, including directories, yearbooks, records, photographs, oral histories, and more. Our research room offers an intimate space for exploration, available Thursday – Sunday, 1 PM to 4 PM by appointment only.
Book your visit to the Research Room
Please note that Museum staff will not conduct research on your behalf unless you are paying for that service (check out Fee Schedule). That said, we’re happy to answer questions about the content within our research room and help you determine whether our collections contain the resources you require.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Please book your appointment at least a week in advance – this gives our small staff the necessary time to respond and prepare the materials for your visit.
Please note that if your research findings, specifically photographs, will be published for profit, you will have to pay and sign for reproduction fees.
To book an appointment, please email us using the below button and include as much details as possible in your email including but not limited to:
- Research topic – what is your intended purpose of research?
- Research subjects – what are the names of the people to research
- Range of dates to research (ex. Feb 1, 1900 – January 31, 1910)
- Potential addresses (ex. searching for records related to Richmond City Hall – 450 Civic Center Plz, Richmond, CA 94804)
- Potential materials needed – what needs to be pulled from archive? (ex. directories, newspaper clippings, photos)
- Please note that we are limited in scope to archives concerning Richmond & neighboring cities within Contra Costa County (El Cerrito, El Sobrante, San Pablo).
To book a visit with the Research Room, please e-mail Victoria@RichmondMuseum.org
Research Room Rules
The following items are not permitted within the RMH&C Research Room:
- Backpacks: Please let us know if you need to stow away your belongings and we can secure them in one of our on-site lockers with a lock at no extra cost.
- Pens: Please avoid bringing in any ink-based or other permanent writing materials so as to avoid damaging the collection.
- Food and drinks: You are welcome to take breaks and consume food and drinks in the museum kitchen. We require that you wash your hands thoroughly and dry them before returning to the research room.
Research Room Finding Guides
Please note that these guides are not comprehensive of the Richmond Museum collections and are only meant to serve as a starting point. Any further perusal of a specific topic or niche can only be done by you.
- Oral Histories
- Richmond California Newspapers – Richmond Independent (1912 through 1945), the Record Herald from the (1940s) and other local original newspapers make up this collection.
- Richmond City Directories – Dating back to 1907, these directories offer valuable information regarding dwellings, businesses, occupations, ownership, ethnicity, etc.
- RMH&C Map Collection 7/28/16
- RMA Newspaper Collection and Clippings – Clippings of newspaper articles, mainly from the Richmond Independent, are also available from the early ‘teens to the recent past.
- Yearbook Inventory List 7/7/16 – Fairly complete collection from RUHS, back to 1909. Others varied and incomplete.
Research Room Fee Schedule
Please note that the museum staff does not have the capacity to conduct research on your behalf.
TO REITERATE: Please note that if your research findings, specifically photographs, will be published for profit, you will have to pay and sign for reproduction fees.
