Harry Kelsey, former chief curator at L.A.’s Natural History Museum, dies at 93

Within the Archives of the Indies in Seville, Spain, Harry Kelsey pored over stacks of historic paperwork detailing the Spanish conquests within the New World. He almost froze within the sixteenth century constructing as he taught himself how you can decipher historical writing methods and skim Spanish.

“I used to be seated at a desk carrying a shawl, overcoat and gloves with the fingers reduce off so I may take notes,” Kelsey advised the Los Angeles Instances in 1985.

The Pure Historical past Museum of Los Angeles County deliberate to exhibit a bit of California historical past, spanning from 1540 to 1940, and as chief curator of historical past, Kelsey volunteered to nail down how explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo constructed his sturdy ship. That manner the museum may fee a duplicate of the vessel.

The extra he researched, the extra Kelsey grew fascinated with the explorer credited with offering the oldest written document of mankind within the West Coast. And he stumbled upon paperwork pinpointing Cabrillo’s birthplace — a degree lengthy debated by historians.

“Many historians have stated he was Portuguese,” Kelsey stated. “Maybe successive writers have accepted as reality statements made in early chronicles. I found he was born in Spain, in all probability round 1498 or 1500.”

Years later, King Juan Carlos of Spain acknowledged the feat and awarded the historian. And it’s testomony to many years of dogged work Kelsey pursued to be taught extra concerning the world and share its intricacies. He printed quite a few books on historic figures reminiscent of English explorer Francis Drake and the early, unsung Spanish mariners who traveled the globe. He additionally performed a key position in serving to set up downtown Los Angeles’ Broadway Theater and Industrial Historic District.

Harry Kelsey takes a break in a Spanish plaza in 2005 to test the next day’s itinerary.

(Matthew Kelsey)

“He was an ideal one for delving into the historical past,” stated Christopher Addé, supervisor of basic collections on the Huntington Library in San Marino. “He knew his stuff and made positive a reality was a reality. He challenged basic ideas about numerous individuals due to the analysis he’s carried out, and that’s what researcher does.”

Kelsey died Jan. 28 at his Altadena house surrounded by household. His son, Edward Kelsey, stated his father suffered from congestive coronary heart failure, prostate most cancers and lung illness. He was 93.

Kelsey’s fascination with studying possible stemmed from his dad and mom, who had been lecturers. Kelsey, who was initially from Illinois, served within the U.S. Military and later pursued his curiosity in historical past by utilizing his G.I. Invoice to return to highschool, incomes his grasp’s and PhD in historical past in 1965 from the College of Denver.

Kelsey began at an insurance coverage firm to earn cash as a newlywed till he landed a task as state historian for Colorado. The historical past buff held comparable titles all through the U.S. till a grant allowed him to review out of California’s Huntington Library. There, Edward Kelsey stated his father knew he most well-liked Southern California’s impeccable climate to Michigan’s harsh winters and advised his spouse and eight kids about their upcoming transfer.

On the San Marino library, Kelsey loved leafing by means of its huge assortment of Western and European historical past.

“To have the ability to wander among the many stacks and select what info you wanted, it helped him loads,” Edward Kelsey stated. “He stated there was a variety of previous, previous paperwork — 4 or 5 or 600 years previous — that he may solely get what he wanted by seeing them in individual.”

Kelsey later started his position on the Pure Historical past Museum of Los Angeles. His work on Cabrillo’s ship led him to ultimately publish a biography on the explorer. He devoted eight years of analysis, touring to Spain usually to assessment main paperwork.

Colleagues recommended Kelsey’s capability to deal with unique paperwork and manuscripts. They stated the historian excelled in translating sixteenth century Dutch and the logbooks of early European explorers.

“Harry made positive that somebody was quoting a reality, he wasn’t going to cite it verbatim,” Addé stated. “He needed to have a look at it from the start, together with his personal eyes, and personal interpretation. He preferred to resolve analysis.”

Earlier than Pope John Paul II canonized Father Junipero Serra, debate broke out within the Catholic group. Supporters argued it was solely a matter time for Serra’s sainthood, whereas others objected over his mistreatment of California natives. Right this moment Serra, who based 9 of California’s missions, stays a controversial figure.

Kelsey, a religious Catholic, additionally weighed in.

“Father Serra was definitely a really human man,” he advised The Instances in 1986. “He had plenty of weaknesses, I suppose, however he had great dedication and energy of goal. . . . He was a person who devoted himself to the Indians and actually tried to assist them.”

Kelsey stated that life was exhausting for California natives when Serra arrived, including that the concept that they “lived in a type of pastoral Eden, in good peace with each other, is simply the best malarkey. There’s completely no reality to it in any respect.”

Giles Mead, the late director of the historical past museum, grew keen on Kelsey’s method and ensured the historian would have a spot to proceed his work. The Mead Basis endowed an workplace on the Huntington Library and — for 50 years — awarded Kelsey grants to cowl his analysis bills. For years, Kelsey could possibly be present in his workplace till the pandemic interrupted his routine.

Mead’s daughter, Parry Mead, stated her father was in awe of Kelsey’s “meticulous consideration to element.”

“Dad used to say, ‘Harry is the one historian I do know whose footnotes exceeded the narrative in his books!’ ” she stated.

At a low level in Giles Mead’s life, Kelsey wrote virtually day by day letters to his buddy. Utilizing their mutual love of canine, Kelsey spoke by means of his rescue pup, creating a singular voice to specific his feelings to his buddy. Parry Mead stated she believes the letters helped maintain her father alive.

Even after he retired, Kelsey continued pursuing his love of historical past. He traveled almost annual — generally twice in a yr — to stroll historic routes reminiscent of Spain’s Camino de Santiago, the place winding paths stretched from the coast to countryside hills. And similar to the European navigators he studied, Kelsey wrote letters to his family members about his adventures.

“One time he actually did have a St. Bernard discover him as a result of he received caught in snow,” Addé stated. “He made sort of mild of it, however he did say on the time it was actually robust going.”

In his spare time, Kelsey loved refurbishing vintage vehicles in his storage. He restored a 1915 Dodge he as soon as drove in a Disneyland parade and constructed a duplicate of a 1920 Mannequin T Ford. Even in his remaining days, his kids helped him work on his Sixties Chevy pickup.

“He was the type of individual you by no means thought would die ever as a result of at 92ish, he was nonetheless speaking about occurring pilgrimage journeys,” Addé stated. “And I’m pondering, ‘Properly, I simply need to get to 92.’ ”

Kelsey was most lately engaged on a brand new e book, translating the account of an individual who was on the ship with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan when he was circumnavigating the world.

Kelsey is survived by seven kids, 17 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in loss of life by his spouse and a son.