This collection consists of photographs, pamphlets and clippings documenting Los Angeles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The majority of the photographs are of the downtown area and feature intersections of major Los Angeles streets, such as Pico and Western. There are also photographs of members of the McFie family, including Maynard McFie. Current and former landmarks also appear in the collection's photographs. There are also photographs of San Pedro Harbor, an old city hall building, and the remnants of the LA Times building after the bombing of 1910. Many of the photographs have handwritten captions on the verso. The pamphlets and clippings provide information about the history of Los Angeles area lands, such as the ranchos that used to make up Southern California. One such pamphlet is titled "Old Spanish and Mexican Ranchos of Los Angeles County." There are also handwritten notes on the various ranchos.