San Francisco

On January 30, 1847, the small harbor village of Yerba Buena was rechristened San Francisco. As the Gold Rush quickly propelled the population to over 50,000, fortunes made in the silver Comstock lode and the railroad transformed the area into the financial and cultural center of the West. Captured here in over 200 vintage images are the life and times of the city’s earliest residents and their livelihoods. Spanning the mid-1800s through the early decades of the 20th century, this book offers a visual account of early life in San Francisco, from family outings at Golden Gate Park, to the images of San Franciscans rebuilding their city after the devastating Earthquake and Fire of 1906. Also pictured are the joyous occasions, including the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915, the openings of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges, and the 1939 World’s Fair. Early views of the city’s landmarks capture the magic of the Bay area, such as the Ferry Depot, Nob Hill, turn of the century Chinatown, and Fisherman’s Wharf.