So this is less a question of whether the residents can pay, but rather whether the residents value this archive at all.
A last chance to win the day will take place at 2 p.m. on April 9 in room 201 of the United States Bankruptcy Court, 1415 State Street, Santa Barbara. There, a live auction will occur whereby the current price of $250,000 may be bested only by in-person bidding.1868-1990s covers almost the entire history of California as a state, the photos alone shoule be interesting.
In the silent film era 1910-1922, Santa Barbara housed the then world's largest movie studio (Flying A Studios) until it outgrew the town and moved to Hollywood. Those years should be quite interesting.