Skip to main content My Account Off-Campus Access Give Meet with a Librarian Directory Library Services Technical Support Submit a Digital Sign Give Newsletters Social Media

1938-1941

  1. Home
  2. Visit & Study
  3. Exhibits
  4. Bound in Time: Exploring Women’s Journeys through Scrapbooks and Photo Albums
  5. 1938-1941

Fun in California: The Little-known Journey of Ada Hall

Ada Hall (1914-1997) was a Chinese American woman living in Vallejo, California. According to the 1940 census, Hall was 24 years old at the time (around the time of the creation of this album) and was employed as a housekeeper. She was married to James Hong Lee. Although we know little about her without further research, the photo album reveals much about her personality and her journey from 1938 to 1941.

In some of the photographs, Ada will omit naming herself and will occasionally designate herself with a question mark. Out of context, the question marks underneath her photographs make it appear to the viewer that the person in the photograph is unknown.

A scan of a page of a photograph album with five black and white photographs taken in Suisun.
Portraits taken in Suisun, California, May 26, 1940.
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album
A scan of a page of a photograph album with three black and white photographs of people next to a car.
A scan of a page of a photograph album with three black and white photographs.
Photographs of Ada with friends, circa 1938-1941.
On the left: “The Gang” and a photograph of Ada denoted with question marks.
On the right: Ada (denoted with question marks) and friends (Alan, Bill, Art, and Emma).
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album

Ada documents various fun moments with friends and family at the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California.

A scan of a page of a photograph album with three black and white photographs of people (Ada and her family and friends) at the fair.
A scan of a page of a photograph album with three black and white photographs of people (Ada and her family and friends) at the fair.
Two pages with “Candid Shots at the Fair in “40,” 1940.
On the left: The candid shots include Mom, Phyllis, Grandma, and Ada.
On the right: The candid shots include Mom, Janet, Maurice, Dan, Edna, and Ada.
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album
A scan of a page of a photograph album with three black and white photographs of two women (Emma and Ada) at the fair.
Photographs of Emma and Ada at the fair, 1940.
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album
A silhouette portrait of a woman facing to the right.
A silhouette portrait of a woman facing to the left.
Silhouette portraits of Emma (on the left) and Ada (on the right, denoted by a question mark) at the fair, 1940.
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album

The clippings and photographs she includes in this photograph album document the activities of the Chinese American community and her involvement. For example, there are two clippings related to an event called the “Rice Bowl Party.” According to the Smithsonian, between 1938 and 1941, Chinese Americans led fundraising efforts, known as Bowl of Rice parties, to raise money to aid Chinese civilians suffering in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Leaders organized Bowl of Rice party events in San Francisco’s and New York’s Chinatowns, along with over two thousand communities across the country. In the first clipping, Ada is featured as one of the organizers for a Bowl of Rice party in 1939.

A newspaper clipping containing a photograph of three people at a benefit party.
A newspaper clipping from 1939 featuring Ada Hall.
The caption reads: “Captains of ticket selling teams for the second “Bowl of Rice” benefit party here on December 2… Lillian Wong, left, and Ada Hall, right. Dressed in native Chinese costumes, the girls are pictured…Committee Secretary Thor Eriksen.”
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album
A black and white photograph with a group of 8 women surrounding the mayor at a benefit party.
Photograph of the Bowl of Rice Party, January 9, 1941.
Girls from left to right: Rose, [Dede?], Lily, Pauline, Laura, [Maity?], Priscilla, [Katy?].
Center: Mayor Stewart.
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album

Additionally, Ada includes photographs of the National Dollar Store, a prominent Chinese-American-owned retailer on the West Coast.

A scan of a page of a photograph album with four black and white photographs with interior and exterior shots of a grocery store.
Photographs of the exterior and interior of National Dollar Stores, circa 1938-1941.
MC364 Ada Hall Photograph Album

Through Ada, we learn about the Chinese American experience in Northern California. Her experiences reveal her lighthearted nature and the way she contributed to her community.

View the collection

Ada Hall Photograph Album
1936-1943 1938: June 19-July 7