Skip to main content

Exhibits

William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection

Item set

Title
William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection
Description
Capturing the rich history of the early twentieth century, the William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection (Identification #96-07-08) highlights well-known landmarks, historic events, and scenic vistas from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, from the Deep South to Canada, and from Mexico to Cuba. Scenes across the Golden State are captured in stunning shots from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite and the Central Coast to Southern California cities. The collection features nearly 3,000 photographs taken by native Californians William M. and Grace McCarthy from approximately 1905 to 1938. The McCarthys traveled extensively during the early years of automobile travel, as newly constructed highways connected people and places throughout the United States and beyond, providing pictorial documentation of a pivotal period in our nation's history.

William M. McCarthy (1876 – 1956) and Grace C. Kane (1878 – 1957) wed in the early 1900s and lived in San Francisco for most of their lives where William was stationed as an armament expert for the U.S. War Department. The collection features photographs of the McCarthys' travels, as well as the many family members and friends they encountered along the way. Always ready with his camera, William McCarthy also captured remarkable images of significant events, including shots of San Francisco before and after the 1906 earthquake, the fire that destroyed that city's iconic Cliff House in 1907, the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, and their 1938 journey into Mexico along the newly constructed Pan American Highway. The original black and white photographs, mounted in eleven albums, make up one of the few private collections preserved by the California State Archives. The entire collection was digitized by the State Archives' curatorial staff.

To request a high-resolution scan of one or more of these images, contact the California State Archives at ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov or (916) 653-2246. Please include the Title or Identifier for each photograph in which you are interested, as well as the desired format (tiff, jpg, pdf) and resolution (DPI) for the requested scan. Duplication fees will apply.

DISCLAIMER
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the creators of the materials presented (William and Grace McCarthy) are theirs alone. As noted in image descriptions, certain photographs are restricted or have been cropped due to sensitive content deemed unsuitable for online distribution.
Date
1905-1938
Contributor
Audrey Fullerton-Samora of Sacramento, great niece of William and Grace McCarthy, donated the William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection to the California State Archives in 1996.
Creator
William M. McCarthy
Publisher
California State Archives, a division of the California Secretary of State's Office
Rights
The California State Archives, a division of the California Secretary of State’s Office, owns the copyright to the William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection. The images and content may be used for personal use, research, or educational purposes. For any use of these materials, please credit the “California State Archives, William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection, Identification #96-07-08.” Commercial use or distribution of the images or content is not permitted without prior written permission from the California State Archives. Please note that the materials contained in this collection may include copyrighted material (such as postcards) not held by the California State Archives. Additionally, other limitations, such as the right of publicity, may limit use of the materials in this collection.

For more information about the copyrights related to this collection or to request permission to use the digital images or content, please contact the California State Archives at ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov or (916) 653-2246.
Identifier
Collection ID#96-07-08

Items

Advanced search
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 314
    Caption: "Commanding Officers Quarters - Benicia Arsenal," c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 313
    No Caption: c. 1915, William McCarthy began his career as an inspector of armaments for the U.S. War Department at the Benicia Arsenal in 1903. The arsenal was established in 1851 as the first Ordnance Supply Depot in the West, from which it supplied and supported U.S. troops from the Civil War through WWII and the Korean War. It was deactivated in 1963.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 312
    Caption: "Benicia Arsenal Office," c. 1915. William McCarthy began his career as an inspector of armaments for the U.S. War Department at the Benicia Arsenal in 1903. The arsenal was established in 1851 as the first Ordnance Supply Depot in the West, from which it supplied and supported U.S. troops from the Civil War through WWII and the Korean War. It was deactivated in 1963.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 311
    Caption: "Sacramento Causeway," c. 1916, shows Grace McCarthy at the wheel of an automobile, and William in the passenger seat, on the newly constructed Yolo Causeway, between Sacramento and Davis, California.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 310
    Caption: "Grove," c. 1915, shows Grace and William McCarthy standing in the Armstrong Grove near Guerneville.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 309
    Caption: "Armstrong," c. 1915, shows Grace and William McCarthy standing in the Armstrong Grove near Guerneville.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 308
    Caption: "Santa Cruz Beach," c. 1915, shows William and Grace McCarthy wearing swim suits and standing on the beach at Santa Cruz.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 307
    Caption: "On Top of an Immense Wine Cistern," c. 1915, shows William and Grace McCarthy (on right) with three unidentified people, posing before an immense wine cistern at Asti Vineyards.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 306
    Caption: "In The Asti Vineyards - In Days Gone By," c. 1915, shows William and Grace McCarthy posing in front of a giant sculpture of a wine bottle at the Italian Swiss Colony winery, Asti Vineyards, in the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 305
    Caption: The Chapel - Italian Swiss Colony - Asti, Calif.," c. 1915, near Cloverdale in Sonoma County.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 304
    Caption: "Highway - Cloverdale to Ukiah," c. 1915, shows a view of foothills and valley from an unidentified highway (likely U.S. 101) in Sonoma County.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 303
    Caption: "Boating-Healdsburg Calif.," c. 1915, shows Grace McCarthy rowing a small boat on the Russian River at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 302
    No Caption: Shows Grace McCarthy rowing a small boat on the Russian River at Healdsburg, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 301
    Caption: "Boating on the Russian River - Healdsburg," c. 1915, shows Grace and William McCarthy in a row boat on the Russian River at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 300
    No Caption: Shows a group of people on a boat and standing in the Russian River at Healdsburg, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 299
    Caption: "Russian River - Camp Rose," c. 1915, shows the Russian River and Valley at Camp Rose in Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 298
    No Caption: Shows William McCarthy at the wheel and Grace beside him in an automobile on an unidentified dirt road, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 297
    Caption: "Armstrong Grove - Guerneville," c. 1915, shows William (seated on right) and Grace McCarthy (standing beside him), posing next to a giant fallen tree with three unidentified people.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 296
    Caption: "Russian River - Guerneville," c. 1915, shows a bird's eye view of the Russian River at Guerneville in Sonoma County, California.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 295
    Caption: "Pacific Grove," c. 1915, shows the rocky shoreline at Pacific Grove in Monterey County.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 294
    Caption: "Benicia, Calif.," c. 1915, shows Grace McCarthy standing in the doorway of a home in Benicia.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 293
    No Caption: Shows a snow-covered house and yard, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 292
    Caption: "Snow Storm - Benicia Calif.," c. 1915, shows an unidentified person walking on a snow-covered landscape in Benicia.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 291
    Caption: "Healdsburg, Cal Aug 15, 1915," shows the McCarthys with a group of unidentified people on the Russian River at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 290
    Caption: "Riverside Villa Scenes," c. 1915, shows William (standing in water) and Grace McCarthy (in the water) with a group of unidentified people in a boat on the Russian River at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 289
    Caption: "The Lucky Pony," c. 1915, shows seven unidentified women posing with a pony at a campsite in Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 288
    Caption: "Dance of the Queens," c. 1915, shows seven unidentified women standing in a dance position at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 287
    No Caption: Lena (in man's suit) posing with unidentified woman at Healdsburg, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 286
    Caption: "Harold and Lena, Healdsburg, Aug 15, 1915," shows Lena (in man's suit), and Harold (in dress) at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 285
    No Caption: Shows Harold (in dress) and Lena (in man's suit) sitting on a small bench in Healdsburg, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 284
    Caption: "The Fatal Wedding," c. 1915, shows an unidentified bride, groom, and officiator at an outdoor wedding ceremony.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 283
    Caption: "The Sheriff," c. 1915, shows an unidentified woman posing with a shot gun, pipe, and sheriff's badge.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 282
    Caption: "Riverside Villa Aug 15, 1915," shows William (seated at center) and Grace McCarthy (standing eighth from right) with friends and family at the riverside Villa resort on the Russian River at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 281
    No Caption: William McCarthy (second from left) and four unidentified men standing on a road in an unidentified location, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 280
    Caption: "Riverside Villa, Aug 15, 1915," shows a group of McCarthy friends and family at the Riverside Villa resort in Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 279
    No Caption: A group photograph of William and Grace McCarthy with friends and family at the Riverside Villa resort in Healdsburg, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 278
    Caption: "Fitch Mountain Tavern - Healdsburg," c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 277
    Caption: "Russian River," c. 1915, shows William and Grace McCarthy in a row boat on the Russian River near Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 276
    No Caption: A group of people pose under a tree at an unidentified location. Grace McCarthy is sitting in rocking chair at far left, and William (in white shirt) is sitting on the ground, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 275
    Caption: "Camp at Healdsburg," c. 1915, shows Grace and William McCarthy standing before their campsite tent at Healdsburg.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 274
    No Caption: William McCarthy (left) and Grace (far right), enjoying summertime at the Russian River with unidentified woman and child, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 273
    Caption: "Healdsburg," c. 1914, shows Grace McCarthy and an unidentified man rowing boats on the Russian River as a train crosses the river on the railroad trestle behind them.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 272
    No Caption: William McCarthy swimming in the Russian River at Healdsburg, c. 1914.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 271
    No Caption: Shows a railroad trestle spanning the Russian River at Healdsburg, c. 1914.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 270
    Caption: "Russian River Healdsburg July 1914," shows two women swimming in the river.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 269
    No Caption: A group of people shown swimming and wading in the Russian River at Healdsburg in Sonoma County, c. 1914.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 268
    No Caption: A view of the Russian River at Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California, c. 1914.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 267
    Caption: "Riverside Villa Healdsburg July 1914," shows William and Grace (right) McCarthy and an unidentified woman at the Riverside Villa resort along the Russian River in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 266
    Caption: "Summit of the Sierras," c. 1915, shows railroad tracks traversing the mountains.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 265
    Caption: "Great Western Power Co.," c. 1915, shows the Great Western Power Company hydroelectric power plant along the Feather River in Plumas County.