CALIFORNIA COMPUTER STOLEN FROM BUSINESSReward offered for stolen historical negativesReward offered for stolen historical negatives
Film is 'whole pictorial history of Roseville,' owner states

By: Jason Probst, The Press-Tribune
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 12:48 PM PDT

Roseville historian Duke Davis is still hoping someone will return negatives of historical photographs taken during the burglary of a Roseville business last week.

Between 250 and 300 negatives were lost when a safe was removed from the Roseville Snap Photo, 1000 Sunrise Ave., the night of April 27.

Roseville Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the photography collection.

"They were the whole pictorial history of Roseville, before there was Roseville," Davis said. "They were from the early ranchers and farms, and through the development of the railroad in its early stages, up until 2000."

Davis had donated the prints to the city of Roseville and dropped them off at the business hoping to get the negatives put into digital format. Many of the pictures detail the region's build-up prior to Roseville's incorporation in 1864.

Davis had collected many of the photos and negatives from citizens while working on various historical projects in Roseville and Placer County. He has prints of many of the negatives, but hopes someone will return them.

Police said the negatives were stored in a gray Sentry-brand safe. Other items were taken, including a small amount of cash, paperwork, and a desktop computer.

The business's hand truck was found in some bushes to the rear of the complex.

Fred Sconberg, owner of Snap Photo, said that it would be difficult for someone to break into the safe, and hopes the burglar or burglars will abandon the safe somewhere in the area.

Anyone with any information about this crime is asked to call the Roseville Police Department at 774-5000, or Roseville Crime Stoppers at 783-7867.



Jason Probst can be reached at jasonp@goldcountrymedia.com