#sfhistory — Public Fediverse posts

Castro & Market, Summer 1958
A view from the platform entering the Twin Peaks tunnel. A Muni M-line streetcar about to cross the intersection, traffic all around and a passenger waiting, just a nice dynamic shot. with billboards, the gas station, the tower of Trinity Methodist Church in the distance (burned 1981) I do a lot of repetitive streetcar shots, but this one just kind speaks. #sfmemory #sfhistory #castro #eurekavalley #sanfrancisco #transit

Tanforan, 1912
The then-closed Tanforan racetrack in San Bruno hosted many different kinds of event in the 1910s. December 26, 1912 saw Lincoln Beachey in his plane race Daredevil Edwards in a car. (Beachey would later die in a crash in SF Bay during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition) #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanbrunohistory

Whoops!
Scanning a bunch of prints & there were quite a few showing streetcar accidents over the years. I have seen many of these before but I don't have specific descriptions for them. limited number here but more on BlueSky and instagram. #sfhistory #sfmemory

Sutro Baths, circa 1915
This unknown woman appears many times in many settings in the Sam Crow negatives, I hope someday to figure out who she is, for now I call her scmodel1 #sfhistory #sfmemory #mysterywoman #sanfrancisco https://sfmemory.org/Gallery/Sam_Crow_Negatives

Powell near Eddy Sep 22, 1953
View south on Powell toward Eddy, Market Street in the background. Muni Powell Street cable car #509 on the turntable. The Douglas Building (Gray's suits sign) at right would be demolished in the 1960's for Bart and Hallidie Plaza. Thanks to photographer Carlton Koski who was particular in his record keeping that we can pinpoint this image to 73 years ago today. #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco

SFMemory Update!
321 new old pictures.. a real mix - 1906 Earthquake, lots of streetcars, ancients pinups at Sutro Baths, & a remarkable set of market Street billiard players from 1974. Honored to share these #sfmemory #sfhistory https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-09-17

SFMemory Update!
321 new old pictures.. a real mix - 1906 Earthquake, lots of streetcars, ancients pinups at Sutro Baths, & a remarkable set of market Street billiard players from 1974. Honored to share these #sfmemory #sfhistory sfmemory.org/Update/2026-...

South of Market Aerial circa 1970
Aerial postcard view east showing Bayshore Freeway, South of Market, Bay Bridge and Downtown skyscrapers. Bank of America (555 California) under construction at upper left. [ from the back: An aerial view of the CITY showing the maze of freeways leading into downtown SF and a view of the Bay Bridge in the background] #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco

Twin Peaks View, March 1900
View westerly from Cumberland Street near Noe, houses on Noe Street in the foreground and Victorians at 20th & Castro in the center. (DH Wulzen Photo from the recent SFMemory Update) #sanfrancisco #sfhistory #sfmemory #castro https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-08-18

Protestant Orphan Asylum Oct 17, 1901
Near the corner of Waller and Buchanan, the imposing building housed thousands of children between 1854 and the 1920s. Built outside the city limits, two surrounding streets were named for instrumental leaders of the organization, Weltha Haight and Elizabeth Waller (from the DH Wulzen glass plates) #sfhistory #sfmemory

Guess Where SF, July 1964
A recent scan from the SF Heritage Archive. The building still stands and looks about the same. Walkers may recognize it. (yes, of course you can look it up in the city directory, but give it a shot) #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco

SFMemory Update!
179 remarkable glass plates from Eureka Valley (the Castro to you) photographer DH Wulzen just uploaded. I am so honored the Wulzen Family allowed me to possess & scan these artifacts before donating them to the SF Public Library Take a look : https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-08-18 #sfmemory #sfhistory #sanfrancisco

SF Airport, 1966
It was only a drill for the Fire Department that James Martin photographed one day, still I found these pretty dramatic. I don't think they do this sort of thing anymore. #sfmemory #sfhistory

Sam Crow Portraits, 1910s
Generally speaking, I prefer pictures of the built environment, buildings, and streets, but the Sam Crow negatives have so many fantastic portraits of people, some identifiable, some not, some places I know a lot I don't. I include them on SFMemory.org because despite not knowing much about them it seems wrong to keep them from you. #sfmemory #sfhistory

King & 4th Mar 1966
View east on King Street from 4th Street. Tracks and trains of the Southern Pacific railroad at left, the terminal at 3rd Street in the background. King Street was really in the middle of the passenger and freight yards.
In 1976 the 3rd Street Terminal was demolished a new smaller one was built at 4th street (would be out of frame to the left) Now large residential buildings dominate this view. #sfhistory #sfmemory #sanfrancisco #southernpacific

Bernal Cut, circa 1942
An elevated view southerly from the Highland bridge showing San Jose Ave & Southern Pacific's Old Main Line around the time that the tracks were about to be removed. last days of the old main line: https://sfmemory.org/maps/mapsearch.php?q=mcfarland%20main%20line #sfhistory #sfmemory

The Embarcadero, 1991
Embarcadero Freeway Demolition, view northerly, demolition in progress, the former stub end and second deck removed
John Holtzclaw photographed the demolition in detail over the months it took. more here : https://sfmemory.org/search/index.php?q=%22Embarcadero+Freeway+Demolition%22&_ds=1&bn=0&bs=50&so0=contains&so1=contains #sfmemory #sfhistory

Tonight at SFPL's Park Branch 6pm
My old friend photographer, environmentalist, Greg Gaar talking about his new book I will be there, say hello! https://sfpl.org/events/2026/07/21/presentation-greg-gaar-conversation-jay-blakesberg #sfhistory

Eureka Valley, June 1900
A view north from 21st and Castro, Corona Heights in the background left. A recent scan from a glass negative by DH Wulzen coming soon to SFMemory.org #sfmemory #sfhistory

Eureka Valley, June 1900
A view north from 21st and Castro, Corona Heights in the background left. A recent scan from a glass negative by DH Wulzen coming soon to SFMemory.org #sfmemory #sfhistory

I have slowly been working on doing some research about 19th and early 20th century penmen and engrosser’s in San Francisco. I’ve finally posted a blog with some of that research. This is just a brief overview of what I have found and I plan to update it as I find more information. www.kleavens.com/journal/sfpenmen

Do you have any information about the penmen I have found that passed through San Francisco? Or maybe some engrossed work, i.e. a certificate or diploma, that was made in the Bay Area around the turn of the 20th century?

#engrosserhistory #SFHistory #calligraphyhistory #penmenhistory #sfbahistory

Thanks for all the love for SFMemory. I'm heading out of town (we have a house sitter!) Currently there are 11,496 images available on the site. please take a look, search an interest or location, and send me a message using the forms on the site. I'll get back to you! #sfhistory
https://sfmemory.org/

Not traveling? See this post-security exhibition by signing up for SFO’s Gate Explorer Pass: https://bit.ly/Gate-Explorer

#HeroesofSFFD #SFHistory

This exhibition explores the early decades of the San Francisco Fire Department and pays tribute to those brave firefighters who, driven by duty, battled danger, smoke, and flames to save lives and protect their city.

See “Heroes of the City: Early Firefighters of the San Francisco Fire Department” is now on display, post-security, in Harvey Milk Terminal 1 and online at: https://bit.ly/HeroesofSFFD

#HeroesofSFFD #SFHistory

Our newest exhibition, “Heroes of the City: Early Firefighters of the San Francisco Fire Department” is now on display in Harvey Milk Terminal 1!

As San Francisco rapidly grew from a small village into a bustling city during the chaotic early years of the California Gold Rush, the city’s firefighters heroically battled one devastating blaze after another in a landscape that was often rebuilt with materials that made it susceptible to fire.

#HeroesofSFFD #SFHistory

Crystal Palace Market, 1940
The Crystal Palace Market was at 8th & Market, not sure what Orange Kremo was or how it was non-fattening #sfmemory #sfhistory

Market Street, Aug 23, 1949
One of the problems I face regularly is figuring out what I'm looking at and deciding, while looking at a negative if it's worth scanning, sometimes I don't know. I scanned these night time parade shots from news photog Aaron Rubino because I knew it was Market Street and identifiable. (he shot a lot of society page matrons, yawn)

Once they were on the scanner I was surprised to see all the units comprised of African-American marchers, majorettes, and marching bands. (people of color in these old collections are pretty rare)

The Warfield Marquee (The Great sinner with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner) gave me a month.

Sure enough I found that the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the world (Newspapers called them The "Colored Elks" in language of the time) had a convention and parade on August 23rd.

Here are the pictures seen for the first time in 77 years (hopefully I'll find some more in the stack) #sfhistory #sfmemory #SanFrancisco

SFMemory Update!
250 Glass Plates from photographer Sam Crow! Showing never seen early aviation, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1906 Earthquake, surprise celebrities, & more #sfmemory #sfhistory https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-06-11

Still working on the Sam Crow glass negatives, thought you'd like to see a couple of the man himself. I expect to have another 200 or so online by the end of the week. keep checking back! #sfmemory #sfhistory https://sfmemory.org/Gallery/Sam_Crow_Negatives

Still working on the Sam Crow glass negatives, thought you'd like to see a couple of the man himself. I expect to have another 200 or so online by the end of the week. keep checking back! #sfmemory #sfhistory - sfmemory.org/Gallery/Sam_...

Harry Bridges & The Hallinans, circa 1949
It Pays to Keep Looking Department. Revisiting a box of 4x5 negatives by news photographer Aaron Rubino. I came across this shot of Attorney Vincent Hallinan with harry Bridges and a couple of helpers. Terrence (Kayo) Hallinan at right. #sfmemory #sfhistory

SFMemory Update!
211 images 60's 70s protests, gatherings, 1960 Grant Avenue Fair, International Hotel, transit, a lot of stuff I've been sitting on. #sfhistory #sfmemory https://sfmemory.org/Update/2026-05-29

Golden Gate Park, Dec 1899
I've been head down scanning the last few days, working on amazing 9x6 glass negatives from DH Wulzen (look him up) given to me by his grandson. Many familiar scenes, but real joy is in the details. My white whale (look it up) is the Cider Press communal cup. When did it disappear? #sfmemory #sanfrancisco #sfhistory

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