Calisphere is the University of California’s free public gateway to a world of primary sources. Calisphere contains more than 150,000 digitized items, including:
- Photographs
- Documents
- Newspaper pages
- Political cartoons
- Works of art
- Diaries
- Transcribed oral histories
- Advertising
- … and other unique cultural artifacts
These items reveal the diverse history and culture of California and its role in national and world history.
Calisphere’s content has been selected from the libraries and museums of the UC campuses, and from a variety of cultural heritage organizations across California. Although originally aimed at California’s K-12 teachers, Calisphere contains a wealth of information that can be used successfully in undergraduate courses where primary source materials are required.
The site’s unique organization and intuitive user interface makes these resources easily accessible to students. They can use its segments on themed collections, California Cultures, and JARDA: Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives.