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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 04, Photograph 182
    No caption, c. 1915-1920. William and Grace McCarthy standing in campground next to automobile fitted with mattress and curtains for privacy while sleeping. See also 96-07-08-alb04-175, 179, 180, and 181.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 181
    No caption, c. 1915-1920. Grace McCarthy standing in a campground next to automobile rigged with a mattress and curtains for privacy while sleeping. See also 96-07-08-alb04-175, 179, 180, and 182.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 180
    No caption, c. 1915-1920. William and Grace McCarthy preparing to leave campground in automobile. See also 96-07-08-alb04-175, 179, 181, and 182.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 179
    Caption: "Camp Life.," c. 1915-1920. William and Grace McCarthy standing next to automobile at an unidentified campground. See also 96-07-08-alb04-175, 180, 181, and 182.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 178
    Caption: "An Automobile Detour in Utah," c. 1915-1920. William McCarthy standing with three automobiles parked on and alongside railroad tracks, at an unidentified location in Utah.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 177
    Caption: "Rose Carnival -- Portland." Features a parade float shaped as a swan, with roses, an American flag, and a sign reading "peace." The Portland Rose Festival began in 1907 as the Rose Carnival. It is now an annual festival featuring three parades, including the Grand Floral Parade, the second-largest all-floral parade in the nation (the largest being the Tournament of Roses held each New Year in Pasadena, California).
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 176
    Caption: "Camp Life.," c. 1915-1920. William and Grace McCarthy seated next to automobile at an unidentified campground for a meal. See also 96-07-08-alb04-175, 179, 180, 181, and 182.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 175
    No caption, c. 1920. William McCarthy in camp ground standing beside automobile converted to "bedroom," with a tarp around the windows for privacy. See also 96-07-08-alb04-176, 179, 180, 181, and 182.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 174
    No caption, c. 1915-1920. Shepperd's Dell Bridge, built in 1914, spans Young Creek along the Historic Columbia River Highway.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 173
    Caption: "Columbia River Scenes," c. 1920. Oneonta Creek running through thick, lush vegetation and a small, steeply-sided gorge.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 172
    Caption: "Sisters Hospital -- Walla Walla.," ca. 1920. Five-story brick and stone building. This building is the second hospital built on the site. The first, built in the 1880s by the Sisters of Providence, burned in a 1915 fire. This second building (seen here), constructed in 1916, served as the main hospital building until a new facility was constructed in 1976. The resulting new complex of buildings is now called the Providence St. Mary Medical Center.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 171
    Caption: "Washington State Capitol -- Olympia.," c. 1920. Also known as The Castle, this building served as Washington's state capitol building from 1905 to 1928, when the Legislature moved into the current building. The central tower of The Castle was lost in a 1928 fire, while numerous other towers fell to the 1949 Olympia earthquake. Some of those towers have been restored.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 170
    Caption: "Columbia River Scenes," c. 1920. Waterfall in upper part of photograph, with stream in foreground. A small footbridge can be seen at the base of the second tier of the falls.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 169
    No caption, c. 1920. Waterfall with lush vegetation along the Columbia River in Oregon. The Benson Footbridge, built in 1914, is featured at the center of the photograph.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 168
    No caption, c. 1915-1920. Unidentified women standing at a summit point in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, at elevation 7,630 feet. She is standing next to a road sign with directions and distances to Placerville and Lake Tahoe listed.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 167
    No caption, c. 1920-1925. William and Grace McCarthy standing in an unidentified location, in front of a tree.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 166
    Caption: "Santa Cruz," c. 1920-1925. William and Grace McCarthy posed in front of an unidentified, stuccoed building in Santa Cruz, California.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 165
    Caption: "Lake Tahoe," c. 1915-1920. Two unidentified women, the same two appearing in 96-07-08-alb04-164, wearing swimsuits, on a beach at Lake Tahoe.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 164
    No caption, c. 1915-1920. Two unidentified women swimming in what is likely Lake Tahoe
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 163
    Caption: "Lake Tahoe.," c. 1915-1920. William and Grace McCarthy in swimsuits on a beach at Lake Tahoe.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 162
    Caption: "Columbia River Scenes.," c. 1920. Shows the Vista House and Crown Point from a point on the hillside below. The Vista House was built in 1918 as a memorial to Oregon's pioneers. Designed by Edgar M. Lazarus, it sits atop Crown Point, a rocky promontory overlooking the Columbia River gorge, along the Historic Columbia River Highway.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 161
    Caption: "Crown Point.," c. 1920. Shows the Vista House, built in 1918 as a memorial to Oregon's pioneers. Designed by Edgar M. Lazarus, it sits atop Crown Point, a rocky promontory overlooking the Columbia River gorge, along the Historic Columbia River Highway.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 160
    Caption: "Columbia River Scenes," c. 1920. Waterfall with lush vegetation along the Columbia River in Oregon. The Benson Footbridge, built in 1914, can be seen through the trees near the base of the waterfall.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 159
    No caption, c. 1920. Waterfall with lush vegetation along the Columbia River in Oregon.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 158
    Caption: "Scene in Niles Canyon," c. 1915-1920. Shows a railroad trestle over a creek in Niles Canyon, in Alameda County (the San Francisco Bay Area).
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 157
    Caption: "Portals of the Past," c. 1915-1920. A monument in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, on the shores of Lloyd Lake, consisting of a white marble archway and columns. The archway was originally part of the Nob Hill mansion belonging to railroad tycoon Alban Towne. The mansion was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, but the entryway still stood. It was moved to the shore of Lloyd Lake in 1909, as a memorial to the pre-1906 city.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 156
    Caption: "Byron Springs," c. 1915-1920. Grounds and entrance to the Byron Hot Springs resort hotel, built in 1913 (the third hotel on the site).
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 155
    Caption: "Byron Springs," c. 1915-1920. Byron Hot Springs resort hotel, built in 1913 (the third hotel on the site).
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 154
    Caption: "Folsom Highway Bridge," c. 1915-1920. Bridge over unidentified creek in the vicinity of Folsom.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 153
    Caption: "Gold Dredging near Folsom, Calif.," c. 1915-1920. Gold dredger in the American River.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 152
    Caption: "Presidio -- S.F.," c. 1915-1920. Crossroads in the Presidio, with manicured grounds and buildings on all sides.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 151
    Caption: "Museum -- Golden Gate Park," c. 1922. The Memorial Museum in Golden Gate Park, designed by Louis Christian Mulgardt in the Spanish-Plateresque style, was built in 1919. Michael H. de Young, co-founder of the San Francisco Chronicle, added the central tower in 1921. The museum's name was later changed to honor de Young, becoming the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum (now commonly known as the de Young Museum). This building has since been replaced with a more modern facility.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 150
    Caption: "Yuba River Scene.," c. 1920. Mountain scene with graveled road at left and river at right.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 149
    Caption: "Yuba River.," c. 1920. River scene with bridge in center of photograph.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 148
    Caption: "Gold Mining at Downieville, Calif. Scene on the Yuba River," c. 1920. Small town nestled at foot of mountain, with gravel piles in foreground. Downieville was settled in 1849 during the California Gold Rush.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 147
    Caption: "On the Banks of the Yuba River.," c. 1920. Grace McCarthy standing with automobile on graveled country road, with the Yuba River visible on the right side of the photograph.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 146
    Caption: "An Abandoned Hydraulic Mine near Camptonville Calif.," c. 1920. Hillside ravaged by hydraulic mining, in which a pressurized jet of water washes sediment and gravel into a series of sluices, allowing the heavier gold and gold-carrying sediment to sink to the bottom for removal. California banned this environmentally destructive practice in 1884.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 145
    Caption: "The Mountain Highway Near Camptonville," c. 1920. Mountain scene, likely in or near Yuba County, California.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 144
    Caption: "Feather River Inn," c. 1920. Built in 1915 near Blairsden. The property was sold in 1970, becoming the Feather River Preparatory School, before being purchased in 1977 by the University of the Pacific.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 143
    Caption: "Feather River -- Calif.," c. 1920. Bend in the Feather River, a tributary of the Sacramento River.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 142
    Caption: "Toll Gate -- St Helena Mountain.," c. 1920. Toll gate consists of a long wooden spar across the road, with a small building to the right. Grace McCarthy is standing next to an automobile at the gate. The St. Helena Toll Road, now part of California State Route 29, connected the Napa Valley with Lake County. It was built in 1868, and purchased by the State of California in 1925.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 141
    Caption: "Harbin Springs -- Lake Co," c. 1920. Resort buildings at Harbin Springs, home of the Harbin Hot Springs.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 140
    Caption: "W.P.R.R. Feather River," c. 1920. Western Pacific Railroad train making its way along the Feather River in California.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 139
    Caption: "Marysville -- Calif.," c. 1920. Main Street of Marysville, California.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 138
    Caption: "Adams Springs -- Lake Co.," c. 1920. Buildings in Adams Springs, likely part of the resort that operated there in the first half of the twentieth century.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 137
    Caption: "Seiglers Springs -- Lake Co.," c. 1920. Resort building at Seigler Springs.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 136
    Caption: "Hobergs Resort -- Lake Co.," c. 1920. Resort buildings nestled in grove of trees. Built in 1885, the resort stood until 2015, when it was destroyed by the Valley Fire.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 135
    Caption: "Adams Springs.," c. 1920. Buildings in Adams Springs, likely part of the resort that operated there in the first half of the twentieth century.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 134
    Caption: "Blue Lakes," c. 1920. Lake with rolling hills/mountains in the distance.
  • McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 133
    Caption: "Blue Lakes Resort -- Lake County," c. 1920. Lake with resort buildings in center of photograph, mountains in the background.