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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

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  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 164
    Caption: "Australia," shows the Australian Pavilion at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-137.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 163
    Caption: "Canadian Exhibit," shows a display of wildlife and livestock, in the Canadian Pavilion at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 162
    Caption: "Canada," shows the Canadian Pavilion at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-140.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 161
    Caption: "Canada," shows exhibits inside the Canadian Pavilion at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-139.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 160
    Caption: "Cuba," shows the Cuban Pavilion at the Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-136.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 159
    Caption: "France," shows the French Pavilion at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The French Pavilion, an homage to the Palais de Legion d'Honneur in Paris, provided the inspiration for the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco. See also 96-07-08-alb01-135.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 158
    Caption: "Washington," State of Washington Building at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-138.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 157
    Caption: "Illinois State Building," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 156
    Caption: "Oregon Building Interior," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-134.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 155
    Caption: "Oregon Building," features massive cut logs used as columns for the state of Oregon's presentation building at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-133.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 154
    Caption: "Iowa Exhibit," features a horn of plenty with a mountain of corn cobs, with "Corn is King - in Iowa," spelled out in corn, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-132.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 153
    Caption: "Mallet Articulated Compound Locomotive," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-131.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 152
    Caption: "Over the Fair Railway," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-130.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 151
    No Caption: shows various buildings at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-129.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 150
    Caption: "Transportation Building," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-128.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 149
    Caption: "Festival Hall," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-027.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 148
    No Caption: shows large crowds at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-126.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 147
    Caption: "South Gardens," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-125.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 146
    No Caption: Machinery Palace at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-124.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 145
    Caption: "Machinery Palace," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-123.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 144
    Caption: "The Lagoon," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-122.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 143
    Caption: "Palace of Fine Arts," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-118.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 142
    Caption: "Manufacturers and Varied Industries Building, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-120.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 141
    Caption: "Educational and Liberal Arts Building," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-119.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 140
    Caption: "Reflections," at night shows reflections of lighted buildings in reflecting pool at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-112.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 139
    No Caption: shows the South Gardens at night at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-117, with caption: "South Gardens-Night."
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 138
    Caption: "Palace of Horticulture - Night Scene," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-116, with caption: "Palace of Horticulture - Night View."
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 137
    Caption: "Festival Hall Night Scene," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-115, with caption: "Festival Hall - Night Reflections."
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 136
    No Caption: shows lighted buildings at night mirrored in reflecting pool, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-114, with caption: "South Gardens at Night."
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 135
    No Caption: shows the Tower of Jewels at night, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-113.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 134
    No Caption: shows night scenes at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 133
    Caption: "Night Scenes," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 132
    No Caption: shows the Tower of Jewels at night, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 131
    Caption: "Court of the Universe at Night," shows the Tower of Jewels in the background and reflected in the reflecting pool, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-109.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 130
    Caption: "The Lagoon," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-108.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 129
    Caption: "The Pioneer Mother," (Charles Grafly, sculptor), at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-107.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 128
    Caption: "Fountain of Energy and Tower," shows the Fountain of Energy (A. Stirling Calder, sculptor), and the Tower of Jewels at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 127
    Caption: "Italian Spire" in the Italian Pavilion, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 126
    Caption: "Court of Four Seasons," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-104.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 125
    Caption: "Reflections," shows reflections of buildings in reflecting pool at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-103.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 124
    Caption: "Fountain of Winter," shows the Fountain of Winter (Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of the Four Seasons, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 97-07-08-alb01-102 and 96-07-08-alb03-033.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 123
    Caption: "Statues of," shows the Fountain of Spring(Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of the Four Seasons, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 97-07-08-alb01-101 and 96-07-08-alb03-034.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 122
    Caption: "The Four Seasons," shows the Fountain of Autumn (Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of Four Seasons, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-100 and 96-07-08-alb03-025.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 121
    Caption: "Statues of," shows the Fountain of Summer (Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of the Four Seasons, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 97-07-08-alb01-099 and 96-07-08-alb03-032.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 120
    Caption: "Colonnades," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-098.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 119
    Caption: "Western Arch," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-097.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 118
    Caption: "The Pioneer," (Solon Borglum, sculptor), at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-096.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 117
    Caption: "End of the Trail," (James Earl Fraser, sculptor), at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-095.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 116
    No Caption: Court of Abundance, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-094.
  • McCarthy Album 07, Photograph 115
    Caption: "Court of Abundance," at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. See also 96-07-08-alb01-093.