This collection consists of glass and film negatives and copy prints chiefly of architectural scenes in Southern California taken by architectural photographer William M. Clarke (1872-1953). The bulk of the collection focuses on residential and business projects in Los Angeles for Architectural Digest magazine from about 1920 through the 1930s. Among the architecture represented in the collection are buildings and landscapes created by some of Los Angeles' most distinguished architects and designers, including Myron Hunt, Reginald Johnson, Gordon Kaufmann, Roland Coate, Wallace Neff, John & Donald Parkinson, George Washington Smith, and Paul Williams.

William Mycajah Clarke was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 4, 1872, and died at his home on North Beachwood Drive in Los Angeles on March 6, 1953. He was married to Maude E. Clarke and resided at 1371 San Pasqual Avenue in Pasadena in a house built by George B. Brigham, Jr. (Architectural Digest, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 88-93) from 1932-1943, and possibly beyond. He was granted a certificate to practice architecture by written exam on December 15-18, 1919, and was also an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects. Clarke is given credit as the architect for the T.A. Tooey house in a 1924 volume of Architectural Digest, but not much else is known about his architecture practice.

4,482 photographs in 129 boxes: glass plate and film negatives + 11 boxes of copy prints

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.