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Picture This:
California Perspectives on American History
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Uncle Bill and Others at Mining, Placerville, California
Castle Rock, Green River Valley
The Cliff House
Contra Costa Athletic League's All-Star basketball team for the 1948–49 season
Mountain Jack and a Wandering Miner
Cesar Chavez, left, and Alameda County Supervisor John George stand in front of a United Farm Workers banner advocating a grape boycott
These four sailors were stationed at Port Chicago, but survived the blast
In Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara
“Planks to be presented by the National League of Women Voters” with eight women surround the board listing the planks
Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Lake Merritt BART Station in Oakland, California
Picture This: California’s Perspectives on American History is an educational resource that features primary source images from the Oakland Museum of California’s collections that reflect the rich cultural diversity of California.

On this website you can:

  • Browse pictures by three categories: Timeline, Theme, and Most Useful for Educators
  • Use a Picture Map to locate where images were created
  • Explore ways to play with the images through our Interactive Activities such as creating your own exhibits, matching images with artifacts, and sorting images by time period

Create Your Own Exhibit

The exhibit below is one of the many created by visitors to Picture This.

The Mexican Migration to the United States – a story of tensions. (group 7)

The Mexican Migration to the United States – a story of tensions. (group 6)

See more exhibits created by visitors to Picture This »

Browse By Timeline

  • Early California: pre-1769–1840s
  • Gold Rush: 1848–1860
  • Early Statehood: 1850 – 1880s
  • Progressive Era: 1890–1920s
  • Depression Era: 1930s
  • World War II Homefront Era: 1940s
  • Homogenization, Protests & Outright Rebellion: 1950s
  • Unforgettable Change: 1960s
  • Cultural Realignment & Economic Recession: 1970s
  • The Reagan Years: 1980s
  • 1990s to Present

Browse By Themes

  • Children
  • Immigration
  • Labor
  • Political Cartoons / Posters
  • Protest
  • Transportation
California.  Many Voices.  Many Stories.  Oakland Museum of California

This project was supported in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Picture This is a project of the Oakland Museum of California