Sky Tram at the Cliff House 1960

The Cliff House Sky Tram from Richmond SF Blog on Vimeo.

Home movie footage of the Sky Tram by Ron Biagini in 1960. The Sky Tram ran next to the Cliff House over Ocean Beach in San Francisco's Richmond District. Video includes shots of the installed double waterfall and broken windows of the Sutro Baths building.

from the Richmond Blog:  http://vimeo.com/user1767351

North Beach from the top of the hill

Image made with an 8 x 10 view with a 1200mm lens - cropping in for this compacted view.  1984

Originally, the city's northeast shoreline extended only to what is today Taylor and Francisco streets. The area largely known today as North Beach was an actual beach, filled in with landfill around the late 19th century. Warehouses, fishing wharves, and docks were then built on the newly formed shoreline. Due to the proximity of the docks, the southern half of the neighborhood south of Broadway was home of the infamous Barbary Coast.

Due to its past legacy as the Barbary Coast, Broadway east of Columbus, grew to be the home of the city's red light district and striptease clubs. The Condor Club, on the corner of Columbus and Broadway, was opened in 1964 as America's first topless bar to which it still is as of today. The Lusty Lady, a peep-show establishment, is notable as the world's only worker cooperative strip club. The Broadway strip was also home to the Mabuhay Gardens, the Stone and On Broadway nightclubs, which were important venues in the punk rock scene of the late 1970s to mid-1980s...from Wikipedia

Let's Play Ball! View to the future location of "Splash Hits"

 Future home of San Francisco Giants c 1915
 collection of San Francisco Images

China Basin building and City Skyline in the background, viewing what will become McCovey Cove
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCovey_Cove

Update:  SF Gate photo gallery on the ATT "Pac Bell" Park construction for 10 year anniversary
http://bit.ly/a4UscO

wikipedia background:
Just beyond the wall is a public waterfront promenade, where fans can watch three innings of a game through the wall's archways, free of charge, albeit with a somewhat obstructed view. Across the cove from the ballpark is McCovey Point and China Basin Park, featuring a statue of McCovey at the mouth of the Cove. At his feet are small plaques commemorating the winners of the Willie Mac Award, named in McCovey's honor. Along the southern shore of the cove, between McCovey Point and the O'Doul Bridge, is a walkway featuring plaques showing the Opening Day Roster of every Giants team from 1958 through 1999. Just south of the statue is Barry Bonds Junior Giants Field, a t-ball sized baseball diamond. ^[2]

Splash Hits

Splash hits are officially recorded only as Giants players who have hit home runs that have landed in the cove on the fly. As of August 29, 2009, 50 "Splash Hits" ^[3] had been hit into the Bay by Giants players since the park opened; 35 of those were by Barry Bonds. The only Giants other than Bonds to have done it more than once are Felipe Crespo (in 2001), Michael Tucker, Ryan Klesko, and Pablo Sandoval. 7 other Giants' players have accomplished the feat just once.

San Francisco Flash Mobs - celebration of communal anarchy

Web Store features San Francisco History

High quality historical photographic images are available economically through our web galleries unframed and framed. Prints are made on a variety of media including giclees, canvas wraps, photographic style papers. the framing interface is easy to use and pre-visualize your design. Our hand-tinted collection is included. Orders are produced and shipped to anyone in the world from Washington State - normally tax free.

Our Web Galleries are redesigned & updated

Select from over 100 high-resolution black and white, sepia and hand-tinted San Francisco historical and contemporary images. Order directly from our web galleries - prints available on a variety of archival media, including photographic, watercolor paper, canvas, even notecards. Design a custom frame for your piece and pre-view the final piece on line. Also, browse collections from Silicon Valley, Oakland, California and around the world.

Great prices. Shipping from out of state - no sales tax.


San Francisco Photography Galleries


All Galleries: World Wide Archive Web Galleries

The San Franciscans, 1972-1989

Collection of my favorite characters photographed over about two decades of San Francisco history, many hand-tinted; by Bennett Hall,
Bennett Hall Photography

U.S. District Courts feature City's Largest Permanent local history exhibits

Main Exhibit Overview Display, 19th Floor Ceremonial Courtroom, 450 Golden Gate
Learn More: U.S. District Courts Tour

Here is a surprise from the Federal Government- quietly over the last 5 years, working together with local Federal Judges, led by Judge Bryer, we have created the largest permanent local history exhibits on San Francisco and the Bay Area's History. Distributed over 4 floors at the top of 450 Golden Gate Ave, the program details the tales of the City from 1850's through the construction of the TransAmerica Pyramid. Vignettes feature the Panama Pacific Exposition of 1915, the creation of the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island,the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition, the Palace Hotel, the Earthquake and Fire of 1906, the Cliff House and Sutro Bathes, Civic Center, Recreation, Districts around town, the Waterfront, transportation and cable cars, the City's great hotels, notable characters, as well as selected content from others areas around the 9th District the Court serves. Each images has a detailed narrative telling the story behind the picture. Additional programs are installed in San Jose and Oakland Federal buildings.

The program was conceived as a gift to the public from the Court, led by Judge Breyer in San Francisco and Judge Seeborg in San Jose. The intent was to express the integration of Courts with the community, providing education heritage content, foregoing conventional decorative art for the interior walls. Displays are located throughout the public space of the San Francisco and San Jose building, as well as chambers and Jury Rooms. The project started by considering the Jurist experience in the deliberation rooms, which often were windowless.

Story on program in San Jose Mercury News

Business Image Group, led by Bennett Hall, design and developed the content, accompanying narrative, refined the often faded original images and framed and install the pieces through his production company in San Francisco, Eco Framing.

Each photograph was digitally mastered at highest resolution ensure the restoration of missing details, contract and fading problems, cracks and defects, according to our best practices for historical content.

Many of the images in this exhibit can be purchased economically through our web galleries:
World Wide Archive - San Francisco Galleries

San Francisco Images Main Website


San Francisco Jury Room display of Vintage San Francisco