Vivian Fisher
The Bancroft Library's long-time curator of microforms and related formats, Vivian Fisher, died on May 8. Officially, Vivian retired on October 1, 1991, but she continued working on projects at Bancroft so frequently that we made a staff badge for her. After joining Bancroft in 1950, Vivian was appointed to head microfilm operations. Her remarkable expertise, gained during her many years as curator of Bancroft's microforms, sound recordings, and motion picture collections, benefited scholars and colleagues during her long tenure.
Vivian was also an outstanding reference specialist with respect to the Bancroft manuscript collections, including the extensive microfilm holdings created for Bancroft at the Archivo General de Indias (in Spain), the Archivo General de la Nacion (in Mexico), the Public Record Office (in Great Britain), and selections from the National Archives (in the U.S.), all bearing on the development of the geographic areas encompassed by Bancroft's collections documenting the development of Western North America.
Vivian's final project for The Bancroft Library was her translation of the diary of Esteban José Martínez of his voyage in 1779 to supply Alta California. The original manuscript was purchased by Bancroft in 1993. We were fortunate that Vivian undertook what proved to be a challenging conversion of the text into readable English, for the diary reflects the specialized vocabulary of an eighteenth-century Spanish navigator. Vivian was putting the last touches on the translation at the time of her death. When the book is published by The Bancroft Library in the Spring of 2002 it will represent a fitting memorial to Vivian Fisher.
—Peter E. Hanff
Deputy Director
Volume 119
Fall 2001
Table of Contents
History 7B: Undergrads Explore Bancroft Collections
The Annual Meeting of the Friends
Librarians Celebrate Oral History Series
New Mark Twain Letters — Again
The Bancroft Library Donors 2000-2001
