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Caption: "Empire State Bldg. in the Distance. Height 1250 Feet, 102 Stories. 34th St. New York. Aug. 16, 1934." Street scene dominated by the Empire State Building rising a few blocks away. Construction began on this iconic 102-story building, designed by William F. Lamb, in 1930. Completed by early 1931, it held the title of world's tallest building for almost 40 years, until being surpassed in 1970 by the construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower. It is now the fifth-tallest building in the U.S., and the 28th-tallest in the world.

Date: 8/16/1934

Caption: "Coney Island, Sunday Crowd. New York. Aug. 19, 1934." Very crowded beach scene on New York's Coney Island. The construction of several resort hotels on the island in the 1870s and 1880s encouraged construction of amusement parks to provide tourist destinations. Coney Island has hosted several large amusement parks over the years, including one of the world's first roller coasters (built in 1884). Numerous smaller attractions were available as well. The island's popularity peaked in the World War II era, but despite some decline is still a world-renowned recreation area.

Date: 8/19/1934

Caption: "Columbia River Jetty, Or.," c. 1910. View of a jetty built at the mouth of the Columbia River, carrying a railroad trestle. A train hauling cars loaded with large rocks is steaming away from the photographer. This is likely the so-called South Jetty, extending more than six miles into the ocean from Point Adams on the Oregon side of the river mouth. The jetty system at the mouth of the Columbia River was constructed between 1885 and 1917. Designed to funnel water from the Columbia River in a more concentrated fashion into the Pacific Ocean, the jetty system helped create a deeper, more stable shipping channel.

Date: 1910

Caption: "Pile Driver in the Breakers, Columbia River Jetty.," c. 1910. View of a large pile driver used in the construction of the jetty system at the mouth of the Columbia River. This is likely at the end of the so-called South Jetty, extending more than six miles into the ocean from Point Adams on the Oregon side of the river mouth. The jetty system at the mouth of the Columbia River was constructed between 1885 and 1917. Designed to funnel water from the Columbia River in a more concentrated fashion into the Pacific Ocean, the jetty system helped create a deeper, more stable shipping channel.

Date: 1910

Caption: "California Here We Come. Donner Monument. In Our Home State Again After Five Months Tour. October 7, 1934." William and Grace McCarthy took this photograph of the Pioneer Monument when they arrived back in California after a five month road trip to the East Coast. The Pioneer Monument, featuring a pair of pioneers with their two children looking west, was first dedicated on June 6, 1918 to commemorate those who emigrated to California in the mid 1800s. Today, the monument and surrounding area is known as Donner Memorial State Park. The park was established in memory of the ill-fated Donner Party, a group of emigrants whose wagon train was caught in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter of 1846-47. The Pioneer Monument's stone pedestal stands twenty-two feet high, the height of the snow that the party had to contend with. Of the eighty-seven people in the wagon train, only forty-eight survived to be rescued the following spring. Some of the survivors are said to have resorted to cannibalism in order to survive.

Date: 10/7/1934

The Census of 1852 collection includes enumerations of California's 32 counties, arranged into 126 volumes. Schedule I enumerated the county's inhabitants, while schedule II enurmerated economic production. Many pages of this volume are damaged.

Date: 1852

The Census of 1852 collection includes enumerations of California's 32 counties, arranged into 126 volumes. Schedule I enumerated the county's inhabitants, while schedule II enurmerated economic production. Many pages of this volume are damaged.

Date: 1852

The Census of 1852 collection includes enumerations of California's 32 counties, arranged into 126 volumes. Schedule I enumerated the county's inhabitants, while schedule II enurmerated economic production. Many pages of this volume are damaged.

Date: 1852

The Census of 1852 collection includes enumerations of California's 32 counties, arranged into 126 volumes. Schedule I enumerated the county's inhabitants, while schedule II enurmerated economic production. Many pages of this volume are damaged.

Date: 1852

The Census of 1852 collection includes enumerations of California's 32 counties, arranged into 126 volumes. Schedule I enumerated the county's inhabitants, while schedule II enurmerated economic production. Many pages of this volume are damaged.

Date: 1852