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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 08, Photograph 075
    Caption: "Walther Home, Port Townsend.," c. 1906. William McCarthy (far left) with five unidentified friends in front of a residence in Port Townsend.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 074
    Caption: "Port Townsend Autoists.," c. 1906. William McCarthy (second from the left) and three unidentified friends in an early, open-roofed automobile.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 073
    Caption: "Frozen Trees, Port Townsend," c. 1908-1912. View of icicles weighing down tree branches.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 072
    Caption: "Sunset on the Pacific," c. 1908-1912. Photograph of the sun setting into clouds over the Pacific Ocean, likely near Port Townsend, Washington.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 071
    Caption: "Frozen Trees, Port Townsend," c. 1908-1912. View of icicles and ice shards weighing down tree branches and other vegetation along a path.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 070
    Caption: "Port Townsend Bicycle Club.," c. 1910. Seven unidentified men and women posing with bicycles. The bicycle made its first appearance in the Puget Sound area in the late 1870s. Within twenty years, thousands of enthusiasts had adapted the new mode of transportation. Such enthusiasts often formed clubs, such as the Queen City Good Roads Club, based in Seattle (south of Port Townsend). These clubs advocated, constructed, and helped to maintain pathways dedicated specifically to bicycle traffic. Ironically, the efforts made by the bicyclists to generally improve roadways contributed to the rise of another new mode of transportation -- the automobile.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 069
    Caption: "Port Townsend Bicycle Path.," c. 1910. Image of a rural path or road, surrounded by trees and vegetation, with a hill in the distance. The bicycle made its first appearance in the Puget Sound area in the late 1870s. Within twenty years, thousands of enthusiasts had adapted the new mode of transportation. Such enthusiasts often formed clubs, such as the Queen City Good Roads Club, based in Seattle (south of Port Townsend). These clubs advocated, constructed, and helped to maintain pathways dedicated specifically to bicycle traffic. Ironically, the efforts made by the bicyclists to generally improve roadways contributed to the rise of another new mode of transportation -- the automobile.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 068
    Caption: "'THE DAUNTLESS' in PUGET SOUND.," c. 1908-1912. View of the Dauntless, a steamship built in 1899. This ship spent most of its career traveling Puget Sound between Port Townsend and Irondale. She was destroyed in a storm in 1923.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 067
    Caption: "Block-house, Fort Casey.," c. 1908-1912. View of a blockhouse, a timber structure built by European settlers to guard against attack during the Indian Wars of 1855-1857. See also 96-07-08-alb08-019.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 066
    caption: "In Victoria, B. C.," c. 1906. William McCarthy (standing in the center) and four unidentified men with horse-and-buggies in the Gorge. The Gorge is a narrow tidal inlet in Victoria running from Selkirk Trestle to the Craigflower Bridge. The inlet became a popular recreation destination for the area's residents as Victoria grew.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 065
    Caption: "Fort Casey Light House [sic]," c. 1905. Located on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, the Admiralty Head Lighthouse was built overlooking Admiralty Inlet in 1903. It replaced an earlier structure that had to be moved in 1890 to accommodate the construction of Fort Casey. The second lighthouse, shown here, was built with thick walls in order to withstand earthquakes and the concussion of guns at the fort. The man and woman shown in the photograph (standing with a dog) are likely Charles H. Davis and his second wife Delia (Overton) Davis. Charles Davis was appointed keeper of the lighthouse in 1900 and served until his death in 1914. The lighthouse, deactivated in 1922, has since been restored by Washington State Parks, and is part of the Fort Casey State Park. See also 96-07-08-alb02-057.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 064
    Caption: "Steamer Indianapolis, Seattle.," c. 1906-1908. View of the Indianapolis, a steamship in the fleet of the Alaskan Steamship Company. Built in 1904, the Indianapolis was purchased by the Alaskan Steamship Company (ASC) in 1906. In 1908, it was transferred to the Puget Sound Navigation Company, a subsidiary to the ASC. The Indianapolis was subsequently scrapped in Seattle, in 1938.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 063
    Caption: "Steamer, Princess Beatrice, Seattle.," c. 1908-1912. View of the Princess Beatrice, a steamship operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) between Seattle, Washington, and Victoria, British Columbia. Built in 1903, she made her first trip in January 1904. The CPR operated several ships in the Pacific Northwest, all of which were christened with "Princess" in the name. As a result, the CPR naval fleet was often referred to as "The Pacific Princesses" or the "Princess Fleet."
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 062
    Caption: "Burnt Arlington Dock, Seattle." This photograph shows the result of a fire at Seattle's Arlington Dock on May 7, 1906. Heavy fire damage can be seen on the building pictured. Its roof and the central portion of the façade collapsed, and burn marks appear at all windows. Thousands of dollars' worth of supplies were destroyed in the fire. At the time, Arlington Dock was the primary shipping facility for the city.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 061
    Caption: "Review, Fort Worden.," c. 1908-1912. Shows a military band playing or preparing to play, with rows of troops assembled in the background on the right side of the photograph. Fort Worden is located in Port Townsend, Washington, on Admiralty Inlet of Puget Sound. Construction began on the fort in 1898, and by 1902 it was serving as an active U.S. Army base. Fort Worden was part of the "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. The U.S. sold the property to the State of Washington in 1957. In 1973, the fort and surrounding area opened as Fort Worden State Park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 060
    Caption: "Port Townsend Dock," c. 1908-1912. View of wharf facilities at Port Townsend, including several ships (one of which may be a ferry) and miscellaneous outbuildings.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 059a
    No Caption: U.S. two-cent postage stamp issued in 1909 featuring Abraham Lincoln's profile. The stamp marked the centennial of Lincoln's birth on February 12, 1809.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 059
    Caption: "Port Townsend Postoffice [sic], Wash.," c. 1908-1912. View from the rear of the Port Townsend U.S. Customs Office and Post Office. The oldest federally-constructed post office in the state of Washington, the Richardson Romanesque-style building was completed in 1893.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 058
    Caption: "Mount Ranier [sic], Wash.," c. 1908-1912. View of Mount Rainier, the highest peak in the Cascade Range and in the state of Washington, and part of the eastern rim of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Although it is now dormant, it is considered to be a high-risk volcano.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 057
    Caption: "Snow Scene -- Port Townsend.," c. 1908-1912. Group of unidentified men standing in two groups in the snow.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 056
    Caption: "Bent piston rod," c. 1908-1912. View of a damaged piston rod, that appears to be part of a disappearing carriage for a heavy artillery gun, most likely at Fort Flagler.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 055
    Caption: "12" Barbett [sic], Fort Flagler.," c. 1908-1912. View of a 12" disappearing gun at Fort Flagler. The coastal artillery fortification Fort Flagler was established in 1897 and activated in 1899. Most of the fort's buildings and batteries had been completed by 1907. Fort Flagler was part of the "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. Fort Flagler was decommissioned in 1953, and purchased by the State of Washington in 1955 for use as a state park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 054
    Caption: "U. S. 12" Barbett [sic] Carriage & Gun at Fort Flagler.," c. 1908-1912. View of a 12" disappearing gun installed at Fort Flagler. The coastal artillery fortification Fort Flagler was established in 1897 and activated in 1899. Most of the fort's buildings and batteries had been completed by 1907. Fort Flagler was part of the "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. Fort Flagler was decommissioned in 1953, and purchased by the State of Washington in 1955 for use as a state park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 053
    Caption: "Port Townsend Parlor Scene.," c. 1908-1912. View of a parlor in a Port Townsend residence.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 052
    Caption: "Diningroom [sic] -- Port Townsend.," c. 1908-1912. Grace McCarthy seated at a desk in a parlor or dining room of a residence in Port Townsend.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 051
    Caption: "Sleighing -- Port Townsend.," c. 1908-1912. William and Grace McCarthy sitting in a sleigh pulled by two horses, in a snowy landscape.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 050
    Caption: "Motoring -- Port Townsend," c. 1908-1912. Grace McCarthy (farthest to the right in backseat) and group of unidentified friends and/or family posing in an automobile in front of a Port Townsend residence.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 049
    Caption: "Sleighing -- Port Townsend," c. 1910. Grace McCarthy sitting in horse-drawn sleigh in front of a snow-covered residence in Port Townsend, Washington. See also 96-07-08-alb05-114.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 048
    Caption: "Fort Flagler Beach," c. 1908-1912. This photograph features a dirt track in the foreground, with various buildings in the middle distance and a headlands and body of water, possibly Puget Sound, in the far distance.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 047
    Caption: "Fort Flagler before Barracks were Built.," c. 1899-1906. The coastal artillery fortification Fort Flagler was established in 1897 and activated in 1899. Most of the fort's buildings and batteries had been completed by 1907. Fort Flagler was part of the "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. Fort Flagler was decommissioned in 1953, and purchased by the State of Washington in 1955 for use as a state park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 046
    Caption: "Band of Sheep, Port Townsend.," c. 1908-1912. This photograph shows a herd of sheep grazing in a wooded area near Port Townsend, Washington.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 045
    Caption: "Fort Flagler Beach.," c. 1908-1912. Shows a rocky beach with a small cliff in the distance.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 044
    Caption: "Port Townsend Beach.," c. 1908-1912. Tree on edge of cliff, with beach in the distance.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 043
    Caption: "Fort Worden Beach.," c. 1908-1912. Ocean shore scene at Fort Worden, near Port Townsend. Construction began on the fort in 1898, and by 1902 it was serving as an active U.S. Army base. Fort Worden was part of the "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. The U.S. sold the property to the state of Washington in 1957. In 1973, the fort and surrounding area opened as Fort Worden State Park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 042
    Caption: "The Olympic Snow-capped Mountains.," c. 1908-1912. View of a coastal inlet or tideland with raised roads, a large building (probably a resort hotel) in the middle distance, and the white-capped Olympic Mountains in the far distance.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 041
    No Caption: c. 1910. Unidentified young girl posing with chicken, likely somewhere in Washington.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 040
    No Caption: c. 1910. Woman posing with young girl, both of whom are unidentified, likely somewhere in Washington.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 039
    Caption: "Battery covered with snow, Fort Worden, Wash.," c. 1908-1912. Shows the three batteries at Fort Worden covered in a blanket of snow, with the ocean or Puget Sound in the distance. Construction began on the fort in 1898, and by 1902 it was serving as an active U.S. Army base. Fort Worden was part of the "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. The U.S. sold the property to the state of Washington in 1957. In 1973, the fort and surrounding area opened as Fort Worden State Park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 038
    Caption: "Union Pacific Bridge -- Portland, OR.," c. 1915. Built in 1912, this through-truss, double-decker vertical lift bridge crosses the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. See also 96-07-08-alb05-182.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 037
    Caption: "Sacramento River Scene," c. 1910. Train running along Sacramento River in foothills or mountains. See also 96-07-08-alb08-037.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 036
    Caption: "Seattle Street Scene." Street view in Seattle, with Smith Tower in background. See also 96-07-08-alb05-178.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 035
    Caption: "Smith Building -- Seattle." View of the neoclassical Smith Tower in Seattle, built by industrialist Lyman Cornelius Smith. At the time of its completion in 1914, the Smith Tower was the tallest building on the West Coast, until being superseded by the Space Needle in 1962. See also 96-07-08-alb05-177.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 034
    Caption: "Snow scenery, Fort Worden, Wash.," c. 1908. Overview of Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington, on Admiralty Inlet of Puget Sound. Construction began on the fort in 1898. By 1902 it was serving as an active U.S. Army base. Fort Worden was part of the so-called "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. The U.S. sold the property to the State of Washington in 1957. In 1973, the fort and surrounding area opened as Fort Worden State Park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 033
    Caption: "Court House, Port Townsend, Wash.," c. 1908-1912. View of the Jefferson County Courthouse in Port Townsend, Washington. Built the early 1890s and designed by W. A. Ritchie, the Romanesque-style building features a 124-foot clock tower, red bricks from St. Louis, and sandstone from Alaska.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 032
    No Caption: c. 1908-1912. Group of men posing around a 12-inch disappearing gun. Retracting or disappearing guns were a form of artillery developed in the nineteenth century in which heavy artillery guns were placed on rotating carriages that allowed retraction of the weapon after firing, to enable reloading while under enemy fire. Such guns were often used in coastal fortifications.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 031
    Caption: "12 Inch Sea Coast Gun," c. 1908-1912. Group of men operating or maintaining a 12-inch disappearing gun. Retracting or disappearing guns were a form of artillery developed in the nineteenth century in which heavy artillery guns were placed on rotating carriages that allowed retraction of the weapon after firing, to enable reloading while under enemy fire. Such guns were often used in coastal fortifications.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 030
    Caption: "Fort Worden Wash.," c. 1908. Overview of Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington, on Admiralty Inlet of Puget Sound. Construction began on the fort in 1898, and by 1902 it was serving as an active U.S. Army base. Fort Worden was part of the "triangle of fire," three coastal defense fortifications (Fort Casey, Fort Worden, and Fort Flagler) guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. The U.S. sold the property to the state of Washington in 1957. In 1973, the fort and surrounding area opened as Fort Worden State Park.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 029
    Caption: "Target Practice," c. 1908. This postcard shows a plume of seawater thrown up by a mortar shell during target practice at Fort Point. The facilities at Fort Point were part of an effort by the U.S. government to protect the Golden Gate, entrance to the San Francisco Bay. Built between 1853-1861, the fort included emplacements for 141 guns but never fired a weapon in defense of the Bay. Its name was officially changed in 1882 to Fort Winfield Scott, but in 1886 the fort was officially downgraded to a sub-post of the San Francisco Presidio and the name discontinued. It was resurrected in 1912, with the establishment of a coastal artillery fortification at the Presidio, called, once again, Fort Winfield Scott. See also 96-07-08-alb05-322.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 028
    Caption: "#4 -- Record Oct 25, 09." This postcard shows plume of seawater thrown up by a mortar shell during target practice at Fort Point. The facilities at Fort Point were part of an effort by the U.S. government to protect the Golden Gate, entrance to the San Francisco Bay. Built between 1853-1861, the fort included emplacements for 141 guns but never fired a weapon in defense of the Bay. Its name was officially changed in 1882 to Fort Winfield Scott, but in 1886 the fort was officially downgraded to a sub-post of the San Francisco Presidio and the name discontinued. It was resurrected in 1912, with the establishment of a coastal artillery fortification at the Presidio, called, once again, Fort Winfield Scott.
  • McCarthy Album 08, Photograph 027
    Caption: "Main Street, Port Townsend.," c. 1908-1912. Street scene in Washington's Port Townsend, on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula on the shores of Puget Sound.