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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 03, Photograph 050
    Caption: "Fort Stevens, Oregon," c. 1905. Panorama of Fort Stevens, built in the 1860s as part of the defensive fortifications guarding the mouth of the Columbia River. Located on the Oregon side of the river, the fort was decommissioned after World War II, its armaments and buildings removed and auctioned off. The site now serves as a state park complete with military museum.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 049
    Caption: "Washington Street, Portland, Oregon," c. 1905. A street scene with electric car, several storefronts, and pedestrians milling about.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 048
    Caption: "Building the Jetty, Columbia River," c. 1905.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 047
    Caption: "Driving Piles in the Breakers, Columbia River Jetty." c. 1905.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 046
    Caption: " Seaside Beach, Oregon," c. 1905.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 045
    Caption: "N.P. Ferry. Columbia River." See also 96-07-08-alb08-114 with caption: "Ferry Boat Tacoma on the Columbia River," Pacific Northwest, c. 1905. View of the railroad ferry Tacoma, with a train on board. The Tacoma operated from 1884 until 1908, when a railroad bridge was constructed across the Columbia connecting Portland, Oregon with points north of the river.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 044
    Caption: "Fort Columbia, Wash." Washington, c. 1909.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 043
    Caption: "Lewis & Clark Fair, Portland," The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held in Portland, Oregon, from June 1st to October 15th, 1905. It celebrated the one-hundred year anniversary of the exploratory expedition of the Louisiana Purchase and what became the northwestern part of the United States, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Some 1.6 million people visited the fair, viewing exhibits from twenty-one countries.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 042
    No Caption: Tower of Jewels, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 041
    No Caption: Fageol auto train at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 040
    Caption: "Portland Fair Exhibits," Portland, Oregon, 1905. The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held in Portland, Oregon, from June 1st to October 15th, 1905. It celebrated the one-hundred year anniversary of the exploratory expedition of the Louisiana Purchase and what became the northwestern part of the United States, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Some 1.6 million people visited the fair, viewing exhibits from twenty-one countries.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 039
    Caption: "Portland Fair," Portland, Oregon, 1905. The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held in Portland, Oregon, from June 1st to October 15th, 1905. It celebrated the one-hundred year anniversary of the exploratory expedition of the Louisiana Purchase and what became the northwestern part of the United States, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Some 1.6 million people visited the fair, viewing exhibits from twenty-one countries.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 038
    Caption: "San Diego Mission," with small photograph inset of unidentified landscape, c. 1905. See also 96-07-08-alb08-228 with caption: "Old Mission, San Diego." William McCarthy standing before the dilapidated church building of Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá (Mission San Diego). The first mission established in California, Mission San Diego was founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1769.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 037
    Caption: "Portland Fair Exhibits," Portland, Oregon, 1905. The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held in Portland, Oregon, from June 1st to October 15th, 1905. It celebrated the one-hundred year anniversary of the exploratory expedition of the Louisiana Purchase and what became the northwestern part of the United States, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Some 1.6 million people visited the fair, viewing exhibits from twenty-one countries.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 036
    Caption: "Modern Gun," at unidentified location, c. 1905.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 035
    No Caption: San Francisco Market Street scene at night with electric lights, c. 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 034
    No Caption: Fountain of Spring (Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of the Four Seasons at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 033
    No Caption: Fountain of Winter (Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of the Four Seasons at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 032
    No Caption: Fountain of Summer (Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of the Four Seasons at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 031
    Caption: "Old Time Gun." at unidentified location, c. 1905.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 030
    No Caption: The Pioneer (Solon Borglum, sculptor), at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 029
    No Caption: Fountain of Energy (A. Stirling Calder, sculptor), at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 028
    No Caption: Avenue of Palms at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 027
    No Caption: Fountain of Earth (Robert I. Aitken, sculptor), at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 026
    No Caption: Palace of Horticulture at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 025
    No Caption: Fountain of Autumn (Furio Piccirilli, sculptor), in the Court of the Four Seasons at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 024
    No Caption: Court of Abundance at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 023
    No Caption: Grace and William McCarthy standing alongside fountain at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 022
    No Caption: The California Building at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 021
    No Caption: Tower of Jewels, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 020
    No Caption: The Palace of Horticulture on the right, with Fageol auto train in the foreground, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 019
    No Caption: William and Grace McCarthy (standing and looking at the camera) at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915. The Panama Pacific International Exposition was held to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, as well as inventive technologies and new industries from around the world. It was also a chance for San Francisco to show the world how the great city had rebuilt and thrived after the devastation of the 1906 earthquake and fire.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 018
    No Caption: See also 96-07-08-alb07-286 with caption: "Harold and Lena, Healdsburg, Aug. 15, 1915."
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 017
    No Caption: See also 96-07-08-alb07-280 with caption: "Riverside Villa Aug. 15, 1915." A group of McCarthy friends and family at Riverside Villa along the Russian River in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 016
    No Caption: See also 96-07-08-alb07-282 with caption: "Riverside Villa Aug. 15, 1915." The McCarthys (William sitting in center, with Grace eighth from the right) with friends and family at Riverside Villa along the Russian River in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California, 1915.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 015
    No Caption: Colonnades at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915. The Panama Pacific International Exposition was held to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, as well as inventive technologies and new industries from around the world. It was also a chance for San Francisco to show the world how the great city had rebuilt and thrived after the devastation of the 1906 earthquake and fire.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 014
    No Caption: Educational Building on the left, with Tower of Jewels in the background, at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915. The Panama Pacific International Exposition was held to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, as well as inventive technologies and new industries from around the world. It was also a chance for San Francisco to show the world how the great city had rebuilt and thrived after the devastation of the 1906 earthquake and fire.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 013
    No Caption: Court of the Universe at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915. The Panama Pacific International Exposition was held to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, as well as inventive technologies and new industries from around the world. It was also a chance for San Francisco to show the world how the great city had rebuilt and thrived after the devastation of the 1906 earthquake and fire.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 012
    Caption: "The Alameda of Presidio," c. 1910. Established in 1776 by Spanish explorers, the Presidio is a fortified location overlooking the Golden Gate, the entrance into San Francisco Bay. It was closed as a military structure in 1995, and is now a park within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 011
    Caption: "Pajaro River, Watsonville," with railroad trestle in the background, c. 1910.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 010
    Caption: "Pajaro River, Watsonville," with railroad trestle spanning the river, c. 1910.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 009
    Caption: "Sacramento River." Pictured is a schooner with a load of hay on the Sacramento River, c. 1910.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 008
    Caption: " Monte Rio." Boat landing and foot bridge at C.W. Meadows' place of business at Monte Rio, along the Russian River in Sonoma County, California, c. 1910.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 007
    Caption: " Casino Santa Cruz," c. 1910, on the Santa Cruz boardwalk, opened in 1907, replacing the original 1904 casino that had burned down in 1906.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 006
    Caption: "Conservatory Golden Gate Park," c. 1910. shows several people about, and a groundskeeper working with plantings, San Francisco, c. 1910.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 005
    No Caption: An unidentified man seen standing on a foot bridge at Echo Park, Los Angeles, c. 1910.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 004
    No Caption: People near the gazebo at Echo Park, Los Angles, c. 1910.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 003
    Caption: "Cliff S.F." The Cliff House and Ocean Beach in San Francisco shows people on the beach and walking up the road to the Cliff House, c. 1910. The photograph shows the third Cliff House built on this site, which opened in 1909, and was built with steel-reinforced concrete. The original Cliff House was built in 1863 and was destroyed by fire on Christmas day in 1894. The second, Victorian- style Cliff House was completed in 1896, and although it survived the 1906 earthquake and fires, it burned to the ground in 1907 (see 96-07-08-alb06-280).
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 002
    Caption: "State Capitol, Sacramento," c. 1910. The Capitol building in Sacramento, California. Located on the west end of Capitol Park, the neoclassical building's construction began in 1860 and was completed in 1874. It houses the state legislature and offices of the governor. The capitol and grounds were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and as a California Historical Landmark in 1974.
  • McCarthy Album 03, Photograph 001
    No Caption: Grace McCarthy standing under a palm at unidentified location, c. 1910.