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Caption: "Point Firmin [sic] Lighthouse," c. 1915, shows the Point Fermin lighthouse, built in 1874 in San Pedro Bay, which was the first navigational light into the bay. It served as a federally-operated lighthouse until 1927, when its operations were turned over to the City of Los Angeles. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the west coast was blacked out for fear of being an easy target to enemy forces. It was never lit again, but during WWII it served the U.S. Navy as a lookout tower and signaling station for ships coming into the San Pedro Bay. In 2003, the lighthouse was opened after being restored, retrofitted, and rehabilitated for public use. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks of the City of Los Angeles.

Date: 1915

Invincible Brand

Date: 1900

Caption: "Performing Elephants. Chicago Fair. Sept 23 1934." Three elephants performing in a circus ring at Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition. The Exposition, a world fair attended by thirty-nine million people, celebrated Chicago's one-hundred year anniversary of incorporation. Originally planned to only run from May to November in 1933, it was such a success that its organizers decided to keep it running for a second season from May through October the following year. The central theme of the Exposition was technological innovation, with a motto of "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms."

Date: 9/23/1934

Caption: "A DAY ON THE GORGE, Victoria, B. C.," c. 1906. William McCarthy (center, with moustache) posing with four unidentified men and two horse-and-buggies. 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.

Date: 1906

Final design of Grandstand, State Fair, Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento. Design, drawing, and water color rendering by Alfred Eichler. Built to this design, 1926-1927. Water color rendering made in transparent color with a little Chinese white mixed; the sky was blown in using an air brush. Project for Department of Finance - Fairs and Expositions.

Date: 1926

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.

Date: 1935

Design drawing of Tower Bridge concrete towers by Alfred Eichler. Project for Department of Public Works - Highways - Bridge Department.

Date: 1934

Caption: "Santa Barbara State College Classroom Building - Horticultural Unit." Drawing by Alfred Eichler. Project for Department of Education.

Date: 1939

Caption: "Fort Marion, St. Augustine, Florida. July 10, 1934." Walkway atop what appears to be the ramparts of the Castillo de San Marcos (Castle of Saint Mark). The core structures of this coastal defense fort were completed by Spanish forces in 1695. Numerous additions, renovations, and repairs have occurred since that time. When Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. in 1821, the Castillo was designated a U.S. Army base and renamed Fort Marion, in honor of Frances Marion (also known as the Swamp Fox, Marion was an American Revolutionary War hero known for his guerilla war tactics). The fort was deactivated in 1933, and turned over to the National Park Service.

Date: 7/10/1934

Caption: "Potato Race - July 4, 1917." Several horseback riders holding long poles skirmish in what appears to be a game similar to polo, played with a potato. A crowd has gathered to watch the game, while the rock cliff walls of Yosemite Valley tower in the background. Given the date, this was likely part of Independence Day festivities in the Yosemite Valley.

Date: 7/4/1917