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Th
1-5
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F
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Sat
10-12, 1-5
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The San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection database consists of images from
the San Francisco History Center Subject Collection. There are a number of
collections that belong to the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection that
have not been digitized and are available to view during Photo Desk open hours.
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San Francisco History Subject Collection
The San Francisco History Center Subject Collection consists of photographs, from the
1850s to the present.
More...
The San Francisco History Center Subject Collection consists of photographs, from the
1850s to the present. This collection includes views of San Francisco street scenes,
buildings, and neighborhoods, as well as photographs of famous San Francisco
personalities. A large part of this collection consists of the photograph morgue of
the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin newspaper, dating from the 1920's-1965,
when the collection was donated to the library.
The San Francisco History Center Subject Collection is arranged alphabetically by subject
heading. A subject guide to this entire collection, including
both digitized images and photographs, is available. In addition, a guide to browse
digitized images by subject is also available. Finally, it is
possible to search the San Francisco History Center
Subject Collection using keywords.
San Francisco History Center Oversize Photograph Collection
This collection consists of photographs larger than 8 x14 inches (cm). The guide to the
collection is divided into San Francisco Subjects (PDF) (43 boxes), Portraits (PDF) (4
boxes) and California Places (PDF) (10 boxes). Use the guides to request photographs
during the Photo Desk open hours. Approximately 40 oversize photographic prints have
been added to the online
database.
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San Francisco Assessor's Office Negative Collection: Residences and Businesses
This collection was given to the History Center by the San Francisco Assessor's Office.
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The collection includes properties photographed by the Assessor's Office from the 1940s
through the 1960s. The finding aid is divided into three sections: alphabetically by
street name (PDF), numerically by
block number (PDF), and alphabetically
by business name (PDF).
The Office of the Assessor-Recorder gave this collection to the San Francisco History Center.
The negatives may be viewed during the Photo Desk open hours.
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San Francisco Department of Public Works Albums
The collection consists of over 95 photograph albums from 1907 to the 1930s depicting the
Department of Public Works (DPW) projects.
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The collection consists of 95 photograph albums from 1907 to the 1930s depicting the
Department of Public Works (DPW) projects including street repair, civic buildings and
infrastructure construction. The collection includes DPW’s card index and the photographs
in the albums are arranged chronologically. The majority of the prints in the albums were
made from glass plate negatives. The collection may be viewed during the Photo Desk open
hours.
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San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Digital Collection
The PUC online collection includes over 200 images, spanning 1887 to 1968.
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The PUC online collection includes over 200 images, spanning 1887 to 1968, of
significant events and projects such as the building of the Hetch Hetchy
Railroad and O'Shaughnessey Dam, destruction from the 1906 Earthquake and Fire,
and the construction of Yerba Buena Shoals on Treasure Island. These historic
industrial photographs document the pipelines, tunnels, reservoirs, dams,
powerhouses and pumping stations that the PUC has built and maintained in order
to provide water, sewerage and municipal power services to the City and County of
San Francisco. These digital visual materials come from albumen prints, glass
plate negatives, and lantern slides that the PUC has scanned; and the PUC retains
physical ownership of the original formats. The PUC Digital Collection may be
viewed using the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection database,
and reproductions of these images may be ordered through the San Francisco
Historical Photograph Collection. As more images are scanned, the PUC Digital
Collection will grow through regular additions.
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Shades of San Francisco
Shades of San Francisco is a community history photography project of the San
Francisco History Center.
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Shades of San Francisco is a community history photography project of the San
Francisco History Center. On Shades photo days, held in different San Francisco neighborhoods,
donors are invited to bring in historic photographs of their families, workplaces, and
neighborhoods so that these photos can be copied and added to the San
Francisco History Center's Photograph Collection.
The goal of the project is to add images of ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as broader
representation of city neighborhoods, to the San Francisco History Center archives. Once
collected in the archives, these photographs become important primary sources to assist
students, scholars, and the general public in telling the story of San Francisco.
The Western Addition, Mission District, Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside, Sunset District and LGBTQI
community photo days have already been completed, but the Shades project will continue to other
San Francisco neighborhoods and communities in the future.
Please browse images from Shades of San Francisco in the online exhibition
Picture This.
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San Francisco History Center Panorama Collection
The collection consists of over 200 panoramas of mostly 20th century San Francisco views.
More...
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San Francisco History Center Stereograph Collection
Stereographs are two photographs mounted side by side and appear three-dimensional when
inspected with a viewer.
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Stereographs are two photographs mounted side by side and appear three-dimensional when
inspected with a viewer. The collection of approximately 800 stereographs is organized
alphabetically by photographer or studio (PDF)
and includes significant photographers such as Thomas Houseworth, B.W. Kilburn,
Edward Muybridge, and Charles Watkins and the photo studios of Keystone View Company. The stereo
cards depict San Francisco landmarks and events including 1894 Midwinter Fair, Panama Pacific
International Exposition of 1915, and 1906 Earthquake and Fire. The collection may be viewed with
a stereoscope during the Photo Desk open hours.
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San Francisco History Center Cabinet Card Collection
The collection of over 300 cabinet cards includes significant San Francisco studios such as Elite, Bradley & Rulofson, and Houseworth.
More...
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San Francisco History Center Postcard Collection
This collection consists of approximately 5,000 postcards and photo-postcards of San
Francisco.
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This collection consists of approximately 5,000 postcards and photo-postcards of San
Francisco views, hotels, restaurants, streets and other popular locations. The collection
is split into two collections. The postcards have a subject list
(PDF) and the photo-postcards have a detailed subject list that notes photographer and date.
Separate from the San Francisco postcards, there are approximately 2,800 postcards and
photo-postcards of California places and subjects. The collection may be viewed during
the Photo Desk open hours.
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Willard E. Worden Glass Plate Negative Collection
The collection contains 432 glass plate negatives taken by San Francisco photographer
Willard E. Worden ca. 1911-1912.
More...
The collection contains 432 glass plate negatives taken by San Francisco photographer
Willard E. Worden ca. 1911-1912. 227 of the images depict the building of the
Ingleside Terraces residential neighborhood by the Urban Realty Improvement Company.
The remainder includes residences in Jordan Park and Visitacion Valley, various
residential interiors, Sacred Heart School, the Y.M.C.A. building at Golden Gate
Avenue and Leavenworth, Y.M.C.A. camps and views of Berkeley and Piedmont.
View image gallery.
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James A. Scott Collection
This collection contains over 4,000 photographs of San Francisco taken over a
period of 40 years.
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This collection contains over 4,000 photographs of San Francisco taken by James A. Scott over a
period of 40 years, beginning in the 1960's. Shown here is a selection of 27 pairs of
before-and-after images accompanied by photographer Scott's notes and comments. The entire
collection may be viewed during the Photo Desk open hours.
View image gallery.
Please note that viewing images is limited to Tuesday and Thursday
from 1-5pm; and Saturday from 10-Noon and 1-5pm.
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