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Picture This:
California Perspectives on American History
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Californians Catching Wild Horses with Riata
Photo of aviator Amelia Earhart speaking to the press
A village of Native American bark teepees
Indian of California
Cypress structure. Loma Prieta Earthquake
Slaughterhouse, Promontory
Japanese American internees cultivate a field at Tule Lake Internment Camp
Yosemite Valley
Highway patrolmen and National Guard soldiers blocking demonstrators in Berkeley, California
Rally in front of the Alameda County Court House
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