Museum of Riverside

History Collection

The History Collection includes citrus picking and packing related tools and equipment, household furnishings, fine and decorative arts, machinery, tools, architectural elements, dolls, textiles and costumes, archaeological collections, works of art, and other pieces that document the history of the City of Riverside and the surrounding area.

Citrus Industry

Given the importance of the Citrus Industry to the growth of Riverside in its early years, the Riverside Metropolitan Museum maintains a large collection of objects that tell the story of the industry. Artifacts include picking and packing equipment and tools, packinghouse machinery, labels, grove implements, and other associated objects.

Fine and Decorative Arts

Fine and decorative arts with a Riverside provenance include Arts and Crafts and Victorian period artifacts, including the Stickley brothers, Louis C. Tiffany, and others. Among the paintings are portraits of Riverside residents Judge Miguel and Minerva Estudillo by California Impressionist C.W. Tanner, Hovsep Pushman’s portrait of Mission Inn founder Frank Miller, as well as local scenes of "Riverside’s Chinatown" by Lillian Whaite, and “From Easter Mountain” by Tonio Whaite.

Textiles and Costumes

The textiles and costumes collection include historic quilts and coverlets, including the 1893 Citrus Heritage Quilt and a rare 1818 embroidered blanket by Frank Miller’s ancestor Allis Miller. were Three generations of a New Hampshire family who moved to Riverside made twenty of the Museum’s quilts. Costumes in the collection encompass 19th and 20th century garments worn by Riverside residents.