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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 072
    Caption: "Botanical Garden Building - San Diego Exposition," 1935, shows the Botanical Building and Conservatory with reflecting pool that featured lilies, begonias, fuchsias, and a variety of ferns at the California-Pacific International Exposition.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 071
    Caption: "Colonades [sic] - San Diego Exposition," 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 070
    Caption: "Night Scene - San Diego Exposition," 1935, a night scene at San Diego's California-Pacific International Exposition shows the Arch of the Future with its multi-colored lights built within the Plaza del Pacifico.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 069
    Caption: "House of Charm - San Diego Exposition," 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 068
    Caption: "Avenue of Palaces - San Diego Exposition," 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 067
    Caption: "Mission-San Diego," c. 1935, shows Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first of twenty-one missions built by the Spanish Franciscans, and founded in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 066
    Caption: "Broadway San Diego, San Diego Population 160,000," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 065
    Caption: "Pima Indian Children and their hut made from bush branches, Sacaton Indian Reservation, Sacaton, Arizona," c. 1935. Located south of Phoenix and including the town of Sacaton, the Gila River Indian Reservation is home to members of the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Pee-Posh (Maricopa) tribes. The reservation was established in 1859. Eighty years later, in 1939, Congress provided for the self-governance of the reservation via the Gila River Indian Community.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 064
    Caption: "Pima Indian Children and their hut made from bush branches, Sacaton Indian Reservation, Sacaton, Arizona," c. 1935. Located south of Phoenix and including the town of Sacaton, the Gila River Indian Reservation is home to members of the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Pee-Posh (Maricopa) tribes. The reservation was established in 1859. Eighty years later, in 1939, Congress provided for the self-governance of the reservation via the Gila River Indian Community.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 063
    Caption: "Indian Hut Made from Adobe and Bush Branches, Sacaton Indian Reservation - Sacaton, Arizona," c. 1935. View of a small adobe building with a porch area across the length of the façade. The porch is sheltered by a low roof supported by tree trunks or thick tree branches and thatched with grass or sticks. Located south of Phoenix and including the town of Sacaton, the Gila River Indian Reservation is home to members of the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Pee-Posh (Maricopa) tribes. The reservation was established in 1859. Eighty years later, in 1939, Congress provided for the self-governance of the reservation via the Gila River Indian Community.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 062
    Caption: "Central Street, Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix Population 51,000," c. 1935 shows a busy street scene in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 061
    Caption: "Pueblo Indians at Hopi House, Indian War Dance-Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 060
    No Caption: A view of the Grand Canyon, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 059
    Caption: "Arizona Grand Canyon and Colorado River," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 058
    Caption: "Puablo [sic] Indian Mother and Child, Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935, shows a Pueblo Indian mother with three children.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 057
    Caption: "Arizona Grand Canyon and Colorado River," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 056
    Caption: "At Desert View Tower Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935, shows Grace and William McCarthy at the top of the Desert View Watchtower.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 055
    Caption: "Desert View Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935, shows William and Grace McCarthy looking out over the Grand Canyon from the top of the Desert View Watchtower.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 054
    Caption: "Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 053
    Caption: "Desert View Tower - Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935. The Desert View Watchtower, built in 1932, was designed by architect Mary Colter in the style of Ancestral Puebloan watchtowers.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 052
    Caption: "Tourist Camp Grounds-Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935, shows Grace McCarthy standing near an automobile at a Grand Canyon campground.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 051
    Caption: "Hermits Rest - Grand Canyon of Arizona," c. 1935, shows Grace McCarthy sitting under an archway made of large boulders, with a bell hanging down from the top center, and "Hermits Rest" spelled out on one of the rocks.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 050
    Caption: "Arizona Grand Canyon," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 049
    Caption: "Salome Arizona, Giant Cactus or Desert Sentinels - Arizona Desert. June 1, 1935."
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 048
    Caption: "Cactus in Bloom Near Phoenix, Arizona," c. 1935, shows a large cactus in bloom and a bull resting nearby.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 047
    No Caption: A Joshua tree in bloom in the Arizona desert, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 046
    Caption: "Giant Cactus Arizona Desert, Salome, AR. June 1, 1935," shows William McCarthy standing next to a large cactus at Salome, Arizona.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 045
    Caption: "Colorado River at Blythe, Calif. May 31, 1935."
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 044
    Caption: "Tree Bareing [sic] 8 Varieties of Fruit. Shields Date Gardens - Blythe, Calif. May 31, 1935," shows William McCarthy standing next to a tree that bears eight varieties of fruit.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 043
    Caption: "Date Palm, Shields Date Gardens, Blythe, California, May 31, 1935," shows Grace McCarthy standing next to a date palm.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 042
    Caption: "Shields Date Gardens - Coachella Valley, Blythe, Calif. May 31, 1935." Date Palms at the Shields Date Gardens, which opened in 1924 at Blythe, California.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 041
    Caption: "Orocopia Mountains Near Mecca, Calif. May 30, 1935," shows an empty road traversing the Orocopia Mountains near Mecca, in Riverside County.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 040
    Caption: "El Mirado Hotel-Palm Springs, Calif. May 30, 1935." The Spanish Colonial-Revival style El Mirado Hotel at Palm Springs opened in 1927 and became one of the most fashionable resort destinations for powerful Hollywood studio heads and celebrities. Here Grace is seen posing at the edge of the hotel's famous "plunge."
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 039
    Caption: "El Mirado Hotel-Palm Springs, Calif. May 30, 1935." The Spanish Colonial-Revival style El Mirado Hotel at Palm Springs opened in 1927 and became one of the most fashionable resort destinations for powerful Hollywood studio heads and celebrities.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 038
    Caption: "Orange Grove - Foothill Blvd. San Bernardino, May 30, 1935." Shows an orange grove behind a row of stately palms on Foothill Blvd., also known as Route 66.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 037
    Caption: "Bobs Service Station - Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles," c. 1935, shows Bob Spencer's Mobil gas service station, which was built around a grounded Fokker F32, whose wings served as a canopy for the fueling stations.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 036
    Caption: "Wilshirmart - Corner Wilshire Blvd. and Doheny Drive. Los Angeles is Noted for its Excellent Produce Markets," c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 035
    Caption: "Aimee McPherson's Angeles Temple- Los Angeles," c. 1935. Aimee Semple McPherson, also known as Sister Aimee was a Canadian-American Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s, famous for her theatrical sermons and claims of healing the sick, and for founding the Foursquare Church.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 034
    No Caption: Shows an unidentified pond or lake in a Los Angeles area park, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 033
    No Caption: An adult male African lion at Gay's Lion Farm in El Monte, Los Angeles, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 032
    Image withheld due to copyright considerations. For more information, please contact the California State Archives Reference Desk at ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov or (916) 653-2246. No Caption: From a postcard of Gay's Lion Farm in El Monte showing Charles Gay riding "Pluto," an adult African Lion, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 031
    No Caption: Seven adult lions perform at Gay's Lion Farm in El Monte, Los Angeles, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 030
    No Caption: Shows a group of adult African lions in a enclosed area of Gay's Lion Farm in El Monte, Los Angeles. Charles and Muriel Gay opened the farm in 1925 and operated it until 1942 as a popular tourist attraction where lions were selectively bred and trained for the Hollywood film industry. It was closed during WWII due to wartime meat shortages, and the lions were loaned to zoos around the country, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 029
    No Caption: Chapel at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Glendale, Los Angeles, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 028
    No Caption: " A stained glass reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in the Memorial Court of Honor at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 027
    No Caption: Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 026
    Caption: "Statue of Family Love, Forest Lawn Memorial Park. L.A.," c. 1935, shows Family Love (Ernesto Gazzeri, sculptor), on the grounds of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 025
    No Caption: A large marble sculpture, The Mystery of Life (Ernesto Gazzeri, sculptor), on the grounds of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles, c. 1935.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 024
    Caption: "Ostrich Farm, Los Angeles," c. 1935. View of several ostriches in a corral at the Cawston Ostrich Farm in Pasadena. Opened by Edward Cawston in 1886, this was the first ostrich farm in the U.S. It became a popular tourist stop along the Pasadena and Los Angeles Electric Railway in the early twentieth century, where visitors could ride an ostrich, or be pulled by one in a light card. They could also buy merchandise made out of ostrich feathers, such as hats and boas. The farm closed in the mid-1930s.
  • McCarthy Album 10, Photograph 023
    Caption: "Baby Ostriches 3 weeks old. Ostrich Farm, Los Angeles," c. 1935.