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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 10, Photograph 269
    Caption: "Main St. Medford, Oregon. Medford 11000 Population," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 268
    Caption: "Highway - Crater Lake Natl. Park to Medford, Oregon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 267
    Caption: "Crater Lake and Wizard Island," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 266
    Caption: "Crater Lake, Oregon - cloud reflections," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 265
    Caption: "Crater Lake, At Watchman Point," c. 1935, shows Grace and William McCarthy at Watchman Point, overlooking Crater Lake.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 264
    Caption: "Crater Lake, Oregon - View from Watchman Point," c. 1935. Located in the Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake is a caldera lake formed about 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano, Mount Mazama. Its 1,949 foot depth makes it the deepest lake in U.S.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 263
    Caption: Snow Tunnel on Crater Lake Trail to Watchman Point," c. 1935, shows Grace McCarthy standing on the trail.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 262
    Caption: "Crater Lake - View from the Lodge," c. 1935, shows clouds and sky reflected in the lake. Located in the Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake is a caldera lake formed about 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano, Mount Mazama. Its 1,949 foot depth makes it the deepest lake in the United States.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 261
    Caption: "Crater Lake, Oregon - Crater Lake National Park," c. 1935. Located in the Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake is a caldera lake formed about 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano, Mount Mazama. Its 1,949 foot depth makes it the deepest lake in the United States.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 260
    Caption: "Crater Lake - Arrow indicates Watchman Point," c. 1935. Located in the Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake is a caldera lake formed about 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano, Mount Mazama. Its 1,949 foot depth makes it the deepest lake in the United States.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 259
    Caption: "Crater Lake, Oregon - View from Watchman Point," c. 1935. Located in the Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake is a caldera lake formed about 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano, Mount Mazama. Its 1,949 foot depth makes it the deepest lake in the United States.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 258
    Caption: "Crooked River Canyon, 26 Miles from Bend, Oregon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 257
    Caption: "Mount Hood, Oregon, Elev. 11225 ft. View from Buzzard Point," c. 1935. Mount Hood is a potentially active volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of the Cascade Range in the Clackamas and Hood River counties of northern Oregon. The last eruption of Mount Hood was in 1907.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 256
    Caption: "Mitchell Point Tunnel - Columbia River Drive, Oregon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 255
    Caption: "Crown Point - Columbia River Drive - Oregon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 254
    Caption: "Shepperd's Dell - Columbia River Drive, Oregon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 253
    Caption: Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Highway, Oregon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 252
    Caption: "Bonneville Dam under construction - Columbia River, Oregon," c. 1935. Construction on the dam and first powerhouse began in 1934.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 251
    Caption: "Bonneville, Columbia River Dam Headquarters, Oregon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 250
    No Caption: A view of the Multnomah Falls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 249
    No Caption: A view from the Multnomah Fall Bridge over the Columbia River, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 248
    No Caption: Vista House at Crown Point along the historic Columbia River Highway in Multnomah County, Oregon, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 247
    Caption: "Portland Auto Camp - Portland, Oregon - Population 310,000." c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 246
    No Caption: See also 96-07-08-alb05-185, with caption: "Council Crest -- Portland," Buildings and benches in a park setting, with a tall observation tower, labeled the "Observatory," at the right side of the photograph. Council Crest Park in Portland, Oregon was the site of an amusement park between 1907 and 1929. The buildings in this photograph were part of that park. The Observatory, built in 1907, was demolished in 1941 to make room for a water tower. The area is still in use as a municipal park.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 245
    No Caption: A view of the Multnomah Falls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 244
    Caption: "Public Service Bldg.- Portland," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 243
    Caption: "Columbia River Bridge - Portland to Vancouver, Washington," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 242
    Caption: "Loop in Rainier National Park Highway," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 241
    Caption: "Narada Falls, Rainier Park," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 240
    Caption: "Tatoosh Range - Rainier National Park," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 239
    Caption: "The Clark Crow gets a peanut. Rainier National Park," c. 1935, shows William McCarthy feeding a Clark Crow.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 238
    Caption: "Tatoosh Mountain Range. At the base of Mount Rainier - Rainier National Park," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 237
    Caption: "Nisqually Glacier, Mount Rainier - Note the ice on slope slowly breaking up," c, 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 236
    Caption: "Feeding a Golden Mantled Squirrel Rainier National Park," c. 1935, shows William McCarthy feeding the wildlife at Mt. Rainier National Park.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 235
    Caption: "The Golden Mantled Squirrel reaching for another nut. Rainier National Park." c. 1935, shows Grace McCarthy feeding the wildlife at Mt. Rainier National Park.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 234
    Caption: "Feeding the Golden Mantled Squirrel while the Clark Crow waits. Rainier National Park," c. 1935. William McCarthy is shown feeding the wildlife.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 233
    Caption: "Mount Rainier - Rainier National Park," c. 1935, shows glaciers on the 14,410 foot mountain. An iconic landmark on the Washington landscape, Mt. Rainier is an active volcano.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 232
    Caption: "Tatoosh Mountain Range - Rainier National Park Lodge," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 231
    Caption: "Steilacoom Lake Near Tacoma, Washington," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 230
    Caption: "Washington State Capitol Building, Olympia, Wash." c. 1935. The Neo-classical style building (Walter R. Wilder and Harry K. White, architects) opened in 1928, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 229
    Caption: "Zellerbach Paper Plant, Port Townsend, Wash." c. 1935. The Crown Zellerbach National Paper Products Mill in Port Townsend opened in 1928.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 228
    Caption: "Court House, Port Townsend, Washington," c. 1935. The Jefferson County Courthouse in Port Townsend, Washington, was built in 1891 (W.A. Ritchie, architect) in Romanesque architectural style.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 227
    Caption: "Butcharts Gardens, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935, shows William McCarthy standing in the gardens.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 226
    Caption: "Butcharts Gardens, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935, shows Grace McCarthy standing in the gardens.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 225
    Caption: "Butcharts Gardens, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 224
    Caption: "Butcharts Gardens, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 223
    Caption: "Butcharts Gardens, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 222
    Caption: "Butcharts Gardens, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 221
    Caption: "Empress Hotel, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935. Built between 1904 and 1908 (Francis Rattenbury, architect), in Beaux-Arts architectural style, the Empress Hotel is located in Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The luxury hotel was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 220
    Caption: "Parliament Building, Victoria, B.C." c. 1935. Constructed in the Neo-baroque, Renaissance Revival and Romanesque Revival architectural style (Francis Rattenbury, architect), the British Columbia Parliament Buildings were completed in 1897, and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.