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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 09, Photograph 239
    Caption: "Grand Canyon of Arizona," c. 1925. Bird's eye view of part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, on the Colorado River.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 238
    Caption: "Grand Canyon of Arizona," c. 1925. Bird's eye view of part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, on the Colorado River.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 237
    Caption: "Grand Canyon of Arizona," c. 1925. Bird's eye view of part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, on the Colorado River.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 236
    Caption: "Grand Canyon of Arizona," c.1925. Bird's eye view of part of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, on the Colorado River.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 235
    Caption: "El Tovar Hotel - Grand Canyon of Arizona," c. 1925. Grace McCarthy posing in front of the El Tovar Hotel, on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Designed by Charles Whittlesey, the hotel opened in 1905 as part of the Harvey House hotel chain.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 234
    Caption: "Peristyle - City Park- New Orleans," c. 1925. The Neoclassical open air pavilion seen at the left side of this photograph was built in New Orleans' City Park in 1907 to host parties, dances and weddings. It was designed by architect Paul Andry.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 233
    Caption: "City Park Scene - New Orleans," c. 1925. Peaceful scene in New Orleans' City Park, with an ivy-covered pedestrian bridge over the rippling waters of a pond or stream. A small building is mostly obscured by trees at the left side of the photograph.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 232
    Caption: "Carondelet St. - New Orleans," c. 1925. A bustling street scene in New Orleans.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 231
    Caption: "St. Louis Cathedral Built in 1794 by Don Andreas Almonastry Roxas - Jacksen[sic] Park - New Orleans." St. Louis Cathedral anchors one end of Jackson Square in New Orleans' French Quarter. The structure of the cathedral largely dates to the 1850 restoration and expansion of an older cathedral built on the site in 1793. Very little of the older church survived, although the central bell tower (added on to the older church in 1819) was reused in the new structure and is still extant today. A statue of Andrew Jackson mounted on a rearing horse (Clark Mills, sculptor) stands in the square in front of the cathedral. The sculpture was erected in 1856. See also 96-07-08-alb11-052.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 230
    Caption: "Unknown Soldiers Grave - Arlington Cemetry[sic]," c. 1925. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, also called the Tomb of the Unknowns, memorializes those U.S. military service members who died without their remains being later identified. The remains of the first Unknown Soldier, stemming from World War I and disinterred from a cemetery in France, were laid to rest in the tomb in 1921.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 229
    Caption: "Arlington Cemetry [sic] Memorial," c. 1925. Shows an interior view of Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery, dedicated in 1920.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 228
    Caption: "Lincoln Memorial," c. 1925. Grace McCarthy (far left) poses with two unidentified women in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial's outer structure, styled after a Greek Doric temple, was designed by architect Henry Bacon, while the statue of Abraham Lincoln (only the knee of which is visible in this photograph) within was designed by Daniel Chester French. The memorial was dedicated in 1922.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 227
    Caption: "Washington Monument," c.1925. The obelisk of the Washington Monument rises above the Reflecting Pool on National Mall in Washington, D.C. Built between 1848 and 1888 to commemorate George Washington (former Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States), the obelisk is the world's tallest stone structure at a height of 555 feet.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 226
    Caption: "Congressional Library Interior," c. 1925. View of part of the book stacks within the Library of Congress. The building, originally called the Library of Congress Building, opened to the public in 1897. Its name was changed in 1980 to honor Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and third President of the U.S.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 225
    Caption: "Congressional Library," c. 1925. Several groups of unidentified people outside the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, on a rainy day. The building, originally called the Library of Congress Building, opened to the public in 1897. It's name was changed in 1980 to honor Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and third President of the U.S.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 224
    Caption: "U.S. Capitol," c. 1925. An unidentified man sits in the drivers seat of a car parked in front of the U.S. Capitol. His passengers are obscured by shadow.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 223
    Caption: "U.S. Capitol Bldg. Washington D.C," c. 1925. View of the domed U.S. Capitol at night, with external lamps lit. The Capitol houses both the Senate and House of Representatives. Constructed between 1793 and 1800 and designed by architect William Thornton, the building has undergone several expansions, including the addition of the wedding-cake-style dome in the 1850s.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 222
    Caption: "White House." East Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C. The Neoclassical-style residence and work place of the United States President, designed by James Hoban, was constructed between 1792 and 1800. See also 96-07-08-alb04-085 and 96-07-08-alb11-183.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 221
    Caption: "U.S. Capitol," c. 1925. View of the domed U.S. Capitol, housing both the Senate and House of Representatives. Constructed between 1793 and 1800 and designed by architect William Thornton, the building has undergone several expansions, including the addition of the wedding-cake-style dome in the 1850s.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 220
    Caption: "Washington Monument - Fairmount Park - Philadelphia," c. 1925. Philadelphia's Washington Monument Fountain (Rudolf Siemering, sculptor) features a bronze and granite statute of George Washington on horseback. Dedicated at Fairmount Park in 1897, it was moved to Philadelphia's Eakins Oval in 1928.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 219
    Caption: "Traymore Hotel - Atlantic City," c. 1925. View of the Traymore Hotel on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The Art Deco-style Traymore began as a small boarding house, but a rebuild and enlargement after a storm in 1884 led to the building becoming Atlantic City's most popular hotel by the turn of the twentieth century. In 1906 the front tower was constructed, and the back, wood frame portion of the hotel was replaced with a concrete structure in 1914-1915. Patronage declined in the 1960s, and the Traymore Hotel was demolished in 1972.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 218
    Caption: "Atlantic City Beach," c. 1925. Several unidentified people playing on the beach in Atlantic City.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 217
    Caption: "Atlantic City," c. 1925. Grace McCarthy sits center with two unidentified women in a wheeled electric conveyance, in front of the Traymore Hotel on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 216
    Caption: "Atlantic City Board Walk [sic]," c. 1925. Crowds stroll the Atlantic City Boardwalk in this photograph, while others enjoy the beach. The Steeplechase Pier amusement park is visible in the right half of the photograph.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 215
    Caption: "Atlantic City Beach," c. 1925. Buildings and people line a beach in Atlantic City, including L.R. Adams Bath House (foreground at right), J.G. McGhory Co. 5 and 10 Cent Store (background at right); Franlingers (pavilion in center foreground), and the Traymore Hotel (center background).
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 214
    Caption: "Robert E, Lee Statue - New Orleans," c. 1925. The Robert E. Lee Memorial in New Orleans was dedicated in 1884. Architect John Ray designed the base and pedestal, while sculptor Alexander Doyle was responsible for the statue itself. The monument commemorated the memory of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, until its removal in 2017.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 213
    Caption: "Independence Hall - Philadelphia," c. 1925. Pedestrians outside of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, completed in 1753. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both debated and adopted within the walls of this red brick state house.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 212
    Caption: "Washington Monument. Wash. D.C," c. 1920. c. 1920. Built between 1848 and 1888 to commemorate George Washington (former Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States), the obelisk is the world's tallest stone structure at a height of 555 feet. See also 96-07-08-alb04-075.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 211
    Caption: "Obelisk - Central Park," c. 1925. The obelisk in this photograph was erected in Central Park on February 22nd, 1881. It is an authentic Ancient Egyptian artifact, having been created during the rule of Thusmose III in the 18th Dynasty (despite the nickname, the obelisk has no known connection to Cleopatra). It was acquired in 1877 as a gift from the Egyptian Khedive.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 210
    No caption. Grace McCarthy poses next to a bird bath in a garden, c. 1925.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 209
    No caption. William McCarthy leaning on a bird bath in a garden, c. 1925.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 208
    No caption. Grace McCarthy and an unidentified woman posing beside large bird bath or fountain, in front of the John Shields residence in the Daybreak Estate area of Long Island. See also 96-07-08-alb04-071 and 96-07-08-alb11-230.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 207
    Caption: "Municipal Bldg. N.Y." c. 1925. The statue Civic Virtue Triumphant Over Unrighteousness (Frederick William MacMonnies, sculptor) stands in the foreground of this photograph. The statue, unveiled in 1922, now stands in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery. New York City's Municipal Building rises above the statue in the background. Built between 1907-1914 and designed by architect William M. Kendall, the Municipal Building was constructed in order to consolidate several different municipal agencies under one roof and thereby save the city rent for multiple buildings. In 2015, it was renamed the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, after a former New York City mayor.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 206
    Caption: "Vanderbilt Hotel N.Y," c. 1925. Wealthy businessman Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, Sr. had the Vanderbilt Hotel constructed on the site of a former Vanderbilt residence in New York City, just six blocks from the new Grand Central Terminal. Designed by architects Warren & Wetmore, the hotel opened in 1912. The top two stories were constructed as a private residence for Vanderbilt's family. The hotel still stands today, although it has undergone some renovations.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 205
    Caption: "Broadway From Roof Of Woolworth Bldg," c. 1925. Bird's eye view of New York City's Broadway, and surrounding skyscrapers.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 204
    Caption: "Broadway At Bowling Green N.Y." Street scene in New York City, showing Broadway near the small public park Bowling Green. See also 96-07-08-alb04-076 and 96-07-08-alb11-233.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 203
    Caption: "N.Y. Sky Scrapers," c. 1925. Bird's eye view of a part of New York City, with the Woolworth building dominating the left side of the photograph. Constructed between 1910 and 1920 and designed by architect Cass Gilbert, the Neo-Gothic building was once the tallest in the world at 792 feet.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 202
    Caption: "94 Midwood St. Brooklyn." View of a three-story brick house or apartment building, with a park or empty lot on one side. See also 96-07-08-alb11-235, where the building is captioned as "The Walsh Home."
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 201
    Caption: "The Garage." Although labeled "The Garage," this photograph shows a multi-story carriage house or residence, set in a wooded area with an arbor extending to one side.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 200
    Caption: "Sun Set On The Atlantic," c. 1925. A dark Atlantic Ocean beneath a cloudy sky.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 199
    No caption. Taken from the Brooklyn Bridge, this photograph shows three boats on the East River passing beneath the Manhattan Bridge. See also 96-07-08-alb09-148.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 198
    No caption. An unidentified woman and boy pose in a small go-cart near the carport in front of the John Shields residence, in the Daybreak Estate area of Long Island.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 197
    Caption: "In The Red Bug." Two unidentified boys pose in a small go-cart near the carport in front of the John Shields residence, in the Daybreak Estate area of Long Island.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 196
    Caption: "In The Red Bug." Two unidentified boys pose in a small go-cart near the carport in front of the John Shields residence, in the Daybreak Estate area of Long Island.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 195
    Caption: "In The Red Bug." Two unidentified boys and a dog pose in a small go-cart near the carport in front of the John Shields residence, in the Daybreak Estate area of Long Island.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 194
    No caption. William and Grace McCarthy and two unidentified women pose next to a bird bath in front of the John Shields residence, in the Daybreak Estate area of Long Island.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 193
    No caption. William McCarthy and an unidentified woman pose in front of a landscaped area with an arbor, c. 1925.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 192
    No caption. Two unidentified men pose sitting on a bench, c. 1925.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 191
    No caption. An unidentified man and woman posing on a bench with two young children on their laps, c. 1925.
  • McCarthy Album 09, Photograph 190
    No caption. William McCarthy and an unidentified woman and boy posing in and around a small go-cart in front of the John Shields residence, in the Daybreak Estate area of Long Island.