#sfhistory — Public Fediverse posts

27th & Dolores, 1942
Southern Pacific's old main line was built in the late 1860's partly through undeveloped land that became Noe Valley & the Mission District. The railroad crossed Dolores & 27th intersection on large bridge. The last train ran in 1941 & the steel was recycled in 1942 #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #railroad #noevalley

27th & Dolores, 1942
Southern Pacific's old main line was built in the late 1860's partly through undeveloped land that became Noe Valley & the Mission District. The railroad crossed Dolores & 27th intersection on large bridge. The last train ran in 1941 & the steel was recycled in 1942 #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #railroad #noevalley

27th & Dolores, 1942
Southern Pacific's old main line was built in the late 1860's partly through undeveloped land that became Noe Valley & the Mission District. The railroad crossed Dolores & 27th intersection on large bridge. The last train ran in 1941 & the steel was recycled in 1942 #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #railroad #noevalley

27th & Dolores, 1942
Southern Pacific's old main line was built in the late 1860's partly through undeveloped land that became Noe Valley & the Mission District. The railroad crossed Dolores & 27th intersection on large bridge. The last train ran in 1941 & the steel was recycled in 1942 #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #railroad #noevalley

27th & Dolores, 1942
Southern Pacific's old main line was built in the late 1860's partly through undeveloped land that became Noe Valley & the Mission District. The railroad crossed Dolores & 27th intersection on large bridge. The last train ran in 1941 & the steel was recycled in 1942 #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #railroad #noevalley

3 views of Embarcadero Plaza
1966, 1974, 2026
Vaillancourt Fountain #sfmemory #sfhistory

SFMemory Update!
179 color slides including the Last Days of Playland and Demolition... ok this set is sad. #sfhistory #sfmemory #sanfrancisco https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-05-06

Last Days of Playland, 1968-72
Scanning about 100 slides and trying to sort out the dates, both of these have the same processing date of Sept 1972, one is obviously earlier & was reprinted on a Kodachrome Duplicate slide mount. I mean, there weren't 2 of these benches. #sfhistory #playland #sanfrancisco

Last Days of Playland, 1972
Here’s a sneak peek at a wonderful and sad set of slides I just received. #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco

Today is 120th Anniversary of the 1906 earthquake. The fire that followed burned three days and destroyed the central core of the city. Take a minute today & think about what it took to start over from scratch #sfmemory #sfhistory #1906earthquake

Working to identify the women swimmers in this recently acquired glass negative collection (~1200 plates) These are girls from the Young Ladies Institute & their instructor Myrtle Wright, who swam the Golden Gate and set a record around Seal Rocks #sfmemory #sfhistory https://sfmemory.org/search/index.php?q=sam+crow+swim&_ds=1&bn=0&bs=100&so0=contains&so1=contains

SFMemory Update!
257 Sam Crow glass plates 1910-1920. Many about the Red Cross, WWI, Golden Gate Park, but really striking here are the portraits both sassy and sweet. #sfmemory #sfhistory https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-04-15

Seals Stadium Apr 15, 1958
16th & Bryant, First Giants game in San Francisco, pre-game festivities. Giants and Dodgers lined up on base lines Happy Opening Day! #sfhistory #sfmemory #sfgiants #baseball

Opinions Needed
On the left is pitcher Howard Ehmke circa 1928 for the American League Philadelphia Athletics. On the right unknown ballplayer for the 1914 Pacific Coast League Los Angeles Angels. Same Person? #sfhistory #sfmemory #baseball

Spring is here! (Sam Crow photo, 1915)
#sfmemory #sfhistory

How about this weather, huh
This is Santa Cruz around 1918
a recent scan from the Sam Crow negatives #sfhistory #sfmemory #santacruzbeach

Nice words from Woody LaBounty about my recent efforts with the amazing Sam Crow negatives #sfhistory #sfmemory https://www.sanfranciscostory.com/re-exposed/

Golden Gate Park, circa 1915
Horses were once a common sight in the Park, there's were 2 large stables nearby, The Park Riding Academy on Fulton & St. Francis Riding Academy on 7th Ave, Here Esther Crow shows off her horse in front of the memorial Museum and Dore Vase in the Music Concourse. #sfhistory #sfmemory #goldengatepark #sanfrancisco

RE: https://sfba.social/@DavidGallagher/116004582075744318

Sutro Baths around 1915
A lot more pics of your hottie grandmother are now online at https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-03-12 (along with worlds fair, horses, demolished buildings, celebrities, and more) #sfmemory #sfhistory

PPIE, 1915
The Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which took place in what would become our Marina District, had 1000s of photos taken. The latest SFMemory update includes over 100 unusual views of the fair, including this officious front gate staff https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-03-12 #sfhistory #sfmemory

SFMemory Update!
291 glass plate negatives from 1910-1920 by photographer Sam Crow. These were stored in a garage for decades until recently scanned. Some remarkable views like I've never seen #sfmemory #sfhistory https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-03-12

La Playa & Balboa 1963
Municipal Railway (Muni) Fageol Twin coach trolley bus #656 at the Playland terminal, Sutro Heights in the background. (Roy Proffer Photo) #sfmemory #sfhistory https://sfmemory.org/Display/sfm003-00081

Bart Tube Construction, 1967
The over 50 sections of the Bart Tube were constructed at Bethlehem Steel at Potrero Hill, Pier 70. The paint outline at Crane Cove Park doesn’t do them justice. #sfhistory #sfmemory

Ferry Building, 1918
Three volunteer women smiling at a counter at the Red Cross Canteen in the Ferry Building (I assume) Thousands of Red Cross Canteens were set up in transit stations across the country to welcome home service people from World War I. #sfhistory #sfmemory (Sam Crow glass negative)

Van Ness & McAllister, 1912
This was an effort to bring the Liberty Bell to SF for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo. The petition signed by Californians was an 80 foot long roll on the top of the float which was paraded down Market Street and loaded onto a ferry en route by railroad to Philadelphia. Spoiler Alert: The Liberty Bell was shown at the PPIE. Thanks to my friend Art who researched the event. This one is another from the giant donation of glass negatives I received on Sunday. #sfhistory #sfmemory

Sutro Baths, circa 1915
A couple portraits of swimmers taken outside of Sutro's at the intake pool, Part of an amazing gift I received yesterday of approximately 1000 glass plate negatives. It will take a while to get these onto SFMemory.org but I wanted to share them with you. #sfmemory #sfhistory

Ferry Building, June 1922

A view northeast on Market from about Steuart. Streetcars, people ,and the Ferry Building decorated for the Shriners Convention. #sfmemory #sfhistory

Brisbane, 1956
The Candlestick Causeway for US101 Bayshore Freeway being constructed over the open waters of San Francisco Bay. I ride my bike this way to visit my sister in San Bruno (ok sometimes go around the other side of San Bruno Mountain) #sfhistory #construction #sfmemory

Market near Sutter, 1968
Bart Construction on Market Street, this block is virtually unrecognizable today save for the small footprint of the former Stacey's Bookstore. Part of the James Martin /Tiffany Cabinet slides. #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #neon #demolished #sfmemory https://sfmemory.org/TiffanyCabinet/

Playland, circa 1948
My father shot this night view near the streetcar turnaround at Cabrillo around 1948 or so with his Speedgraphic camera. He loved Playland. #sfmemory #sfhistory

SFMemory Update!
307 new old pictures for you. 1956 Aerial view around the bay, Embarcadero Freeway Demolition, Key System, People in Boats & whole lot more take a look! https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-01-17 #sfhistory #sfmemory #sanfrancisco #oakland

Jerrold & Newhall, 1967
Learn to Speak Canadian
Just off 3rd Street in the Bayview the New Orleans Supper Club and a junk yard (recently the site of All Good Pizza) a recent scan from photographer John Holtzclaw #sfhistory #bayview #sanfrancisco

Treasure Island, August 1940
GGIE (Golden Gate International Exposition) had transportation called the Elephant Train, this fellow on a real elephant tried to get you to ride it. (no the Elephant train wasn't pulled by a real elephant, yes, the Elephant trains later went to the SF Zoo where people today still remember them) #sfhistory #sfmemory #elephant #worldsfair https://sfmemory.org/Display/sfm008-00380

US Navy in San Francisco Bay, Feb 22, 1935

85 war ships docked in San Francisco Bay for 10 days, culminate their visit with a searchlight display. Today I don't think they need or have searchlights anymore. (part of the latest SFMemory update) #fleetweeksf #sfhistory

Palace of Fine Arts, 1932
Deteriorating Palace, but really about 2 adult women posing in a goat cart & snapped by their friend not the goat man. These itinerant goat cart pics are fairly common, but this is about the latest I've seen & never just a snapshot. #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #GoatMan

Sunday Morning Mystery, 1971
I need help placing these 2, they're on the same street with a trolley wire overhead, possibly in the upper Haight somewhere. I just can't find them. Can you? #sfhistory #unknownlocation #orphanworks

Sunday Morning Mystery, 1971
I need help placing these 2, they're on the same street with a trolley wire overhead, possibly in the upper Haight somewhere. I just can't find them. Can you? #sfhistory #unknownlocation #orphanworks

Sunday Morning Mystery, 1971
I need help placing these 2, they're on the same street with a trolley wire overhead, possibly in the upper Haight somewhere. I just can't find them. Can you? #sfhistory #unknownlocation #orphanworks

Sunday Morning Mystery, 1971
I need help placing these 2, they're on the same street with a trolley wire overhead, possibly in the upper Haight somewhere. I just can't find them. Can you? #sfhistory #unknownlocation #orphanworks

Sunday Morning Mystery, 1971
I need help placing these 2, they're on the same street with a trolley wire overhead, possibly in the upper Haight somewhere. I just can't find them. Can you? #sfhistory #unknownlocation #orphanworks

Grant & Bush, Oct 1974
The Chinatown Gate was only 4 years old at this point and those strange brass sculpture art shops had not yet taken over the block then dominated by hamburger joints. #sfhistory #sanfranciscohistory #SFchinatown

Added today to SFMemory.org! 158 new old images from the Emiliano Echeverria / Randolph Brandt collection. I real mix of stuff from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Expo, Early 70's Market Street Muni construction, Key System Accidents, Ferries https://sfmemory.org/search/index.php?q=sfm011&_ds=1&bn=0&bs=50&so0=contains&so1=contains #sfhistory #oaklandhistory #ppie

Washington Square Bar & Grill (called the Washbag by Herb Caen) was a favorite hangout of writers, reporters, and jazz lovers for over 20 years. It opened in 1973, and by 1987 did more business per seat than any SF restaurant. Owners Ed Moose and Sam Deitsch sold the place in 1990, and it has been through many changes since. It's currently Lillie Coit’s. (CC @DavidGallagher)

#SanFrancisco #Matchbooks #Restaurants #SFHistory

Matching Jack Stauffacher’s wood type and one-of-a-kind prints.

Our upcoming exhibition features more than 100 prints, sketches, iterative proofs, and other explorations of Stauffacher’s creative process. Typographic Jazz opens January 27, 2024 at Letterform Archive.

#LetterformArchive #TypographicJazz #JackStauffacher #ExperimentalTypography #PrintingPress #WoodType #SFHistory #SFBA #Letterpress

Conservatory of Flowers, Fall 1958
Generally I avoid standard tourist shots, but sometimes these old Kodachromes just work right. #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #kodachrome #orphanworks

(I can't read the flowerbed plaque, is there a record of what was planted over the years?)

Orphaned Beaches, circa 1973
I picked up these orphaned negatives at the Alemany Flea Market a year or so ago. The recent heat wave had me thinking about these moody shots near the water. Maybe get out there today. #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #beach #crissyfield #oceanbeachsf

Pioneer Park, Aug 1964
SF in a nutshell, a family picture in the making: the blowing skirt & the bay whitecaps say it all.
Oh & the cars: 3 classics in a row.

(trees have obscured this view today)
Renald Rosewood photo (my uncle, he got me 60 years ago somehow) #sfhistory #SanFranciscoHistory #TelegraphHill

In TWO WEEKS my book will be out in the world! Come celebrate with me and Heather Bourbeau as we talk about San Francisco's forgotten cemeteries on Aug. 29 at @booksonthepark, or tune in online. It's going to be a great conversation!
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#literary #literaryevents #bookevents #booklaunch #bookstagram #cemeteries #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #californiahistory #graveyards

Bethlehem Shipyards, Potrero Hill, 1967
The Transbay Bart tube was built in pieces at what was once Union Iron Works & is now called Crane Cove Park.
(Unknown Photographer, from an amazing collection of found Kodachrome slides) #sfhistory #potrerohill #bart

In 1933, a Boy Scout troop buried a time capsule at the base of the Armenian cross on Mt. Davidson—San Francisco's highest peak.

After 90 years underground, it's going to be unearthed this Saturday.

#SanFrancisco #MountDavidson #TimeCapsule #SFHistory #History

https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/originally-buried-by-boy-scouts-this-90-year-old-time-capsule-is-about-to-be-unearthed/