[BigKidD]

Some very interesting photos can be found on Charles W. Cushman's photograph collection of the city from the 1940s to the 1960s. Here's the link, http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/search/simple.do;jsessionid=C37DB6750BB9114CA289F8693983D19A
and some photos that caught my eye:
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P01907.jpg
The City from Russian Hill
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P05845.jpg
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P05844.jpg
Columbus Ave
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P05868.jpg
Jackson/ Tylor st. cable car
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06508.jpg
Church/21 st.
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06512.jpg
Telegraph Hill from Embarcadero
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06539.jpg
Old house at Franklin & Jackson st. -razed
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06546.jpg
Market & Third
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06548.jpg
Market & Bush -1953
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06720.jpg
Telegraph Hill houses, Union & Montgomery st. -1953
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06722.jpg
Downtown- Montgomery st.- 1953
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P06737.jpg
NW view from Rincon Hill- Key System- 1953
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07153.jpg
Union Square- 1954
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07157.jpg
Cable car turn around Powell & Market -1954
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07308.jpg
USS Missouri off Hunter's Point. Too bad the ship could not return to SF as a museum.
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07495.jpg
Russ building from Grant & California -1954
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07496.jpg
Kearny & Sacramento st. - 1954
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07658.jpg
View from Twin Peaks -1955
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07656.jpg
Golden Gate from Mt. Olympus-1955
[/http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07716.jpg
Ferry Building from Commercial st. -1955
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07969.jpg
Mark Hopkins from Rincon Hill- 1955
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07993.jpg
100 Broderick st. -1955
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07987.jpg
Cable Car festival-1955
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P08309.jpg
New Bayshore Freeway from Bernal Heights-1955
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P08960.jpg
21st & Noe-1956
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P09136.jpg
Market & Third st.-1957
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P09203.jpg
Broadway & Grant st.-1957
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P09936.jpg
Old SFPD HQ(Hall of Justice) Portsmouth Square-1958
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P10823.jpg
Old Fortmann mansion Gough & Eddy st.-1959
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P10829.jpg
Empty houses Gough & Ellis st.-1959
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P10965.jpg
Columbus Tower-1960
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P11715.jpg
Urban renewal or redevelopment? O'Farrell st. & Webster -1960
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15811.jpg
.... O'Farrell, Buchanan, & Laguana st.- 1960
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15812.jpg
.... -1960
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P12638.jpg
Change- View from Nob Hill- 1962
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P12639.jpg
Portsmouth Square area and freeway -1962
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P12668.jpg
A city changing- 1962
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P12691.jpg
St. Mary's Cathedral ruins (fire) Van Ness Ave & O'Farrell st. -1962
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P13711.jpg
Republican Nat. Conv. -1964
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P14812.jpg
Market St. -1965
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P14853.jpg
More change from Golden Gateway-1965
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P14851.jpg
More change-1965
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P14848.jpg
Redevelopment-1965
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P14852.jpg
Lower Market st. -1965
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15468.jpg
Montgomery & Market st. -1966
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15463.jpg
Montgomery, Post, & Market-1966
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15462.jpg
Market st. -1966
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15476.jpg
Market st. -1966
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15475.jpg
Market st. -1966
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15544.jpg
Union st. -1967
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15615.jpg
Hippies-1968
Once again, thanks to Charles Cushman for taking these great photos of the city by the bay.

[EastBayHardCore]

These never get old, seriously.

[Alta California]

My, it's as if nothing has changed.

[Reminiscence]

Very nice pictures, especially those that show the old Embarcadero Freeway. However, I find it a little wierd not seeing Transamerica and BOAT there, and Market Street so cleared up. :)

[BigKidD]

For some reason this photo did not appear,
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P07716.jpg
The Ferry Building from commercial st. -1955
From looking at these photos, all I can say is that I wish more masonry buildings were left on Market st.

[innov8]

Yeah... thanks so much for digging these out. I really like the shot of
Market Street in 1965... that was just the beginning of the building boom.

[tech12]

Wow, nice pictures! And, there are some shots of the redevelopment in the western addition too, which I'd never seen before, but have always been curious about.

[J_Taylor]

I can never get enough of the old photos..

[sf_eddo]

These are so awesome! I like that Market Street is not cleared up - I think it's better when there is a lot of action and hustle bustle - it's the City's main artery!

[urban_encounter]

This city looks good in every generation....

Wonderful photos....

[BTinSF]

My, it's as if nothing has changed.

I had just the opposite reaction. Some of those deteriorating Victorians made me wonder if paint had yet been invented--and celebrate how much prettier they are now. And frankly, even Market St. looks severely neglected. Plus all that brand new concrete freeways.

Truthfully, these photos make me appreciated modern San Francisco in ways I never did before.

[ltsmotorsport]

Very cool. It's like I was walking the streets 40+ years ago.

[Frisco_Zig]

I had just the opposite reaction. Some of those deteriorating Victorians made me wonder if paint had yet been invented--and celebrate how much prettier they are now. And frankly, even Market St. looks severely neglected. Plus all that brand new concrete freeways.

Truthfully, these photos make me appreciated modern San Francisco in ways I never did before.


Many of those old mansions were vitrually abandodned in this time and could be had for little. I especially liked the shot of the house on Church and 21st since I live down the street now

[thesunsetdist]

wow....these are some dope pics.....:notacrook:

[TWAK]

Doesn't it seem that a forumer took those photos? I know it's impossible, but some of those angles have been on the forum before. You know what would be even cooler? Some video of the skyline from Zodiac would be the icing on the cake for this thread

[LostInTheZone]

http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P10965.jpg

I like this building much better in white.

San Francisco is probably the best-preserved large city in the US, but it's still amazing how much of the downtown was torn down and rebuilt.

[Dylan Leblanc]

fantastic thread! thank you Mr. Cushman.

[BTinSF]

Anybody know the story on this building? It looks like it was not only an architectural gem but also a pretty large one. I believe what's there now is much smaller--a one-story structure housing Fidelity Brokerage. So why'd they tear down the older, larger and much more architecturally significant building?

http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15463.jpg

[craeg]

I think it used to be a 12 story tower? I believe the air rights were transferred to the mall tower project nearby.

[BigKidD]

Anybody know the story on this building? It looks like it was not only an architectural gem but also a pretty large one. I believe what's there now is much smaller--a one-story structure housing Fidelity Brokerage. So why'd they tear down the older, larger and much more architecturally significant building?

http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/full/P15463.jpg
The photo shows that the building on the right at least had a neighbor once a time. Anyone else notice the old SF Municipal Railway trolly busses in green and white? If you watch Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation the character Gene Hackmen plays uses them as his mode of transportation. Just a little fyi.

[Manarii]

The building that you are seeing being torn down is the old Wells Fargo Building. It was not a tall building. The one to the right is the Hobart Building (still standing) and the tall one behind the old wells fargo is / was the new headquarters for Wells Fargo being built at that time. In the spot where the the old wells fargo building is being torn down, Wells erected a branch in that spot. That was their branch for many years until Wells bought Crocker Bank, then moved into the beautiful historic Crocker branch across the street (still standing , which is now a Wells Fargo branch).

Why they tear it down? I think this was at a time when corporations wanted to expand, be a major force and having a new big modern building was just part of the times i guess. Several corporations erected modern buildings foresaking their older historic buildings such as Bank of America (before 555 California, they were at 315 Montgomery and across the street at the corner of Montgomery and California (still standing). I worked for BofA for 14 years all at 555 California St. , Transamerica (their incredible old building across the street on Montgomery and Columbus) and Wells Fargo (always confused on the various headquarters locations for this bank.

[craeg]

1915
http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAC-4627.jpg
1912
http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAC-4629.jpg
1966
http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAC-4568.jpg

Courtesy of the sfpl.

[BTinSF]

^^^So, as I suspected, what was there was not only more architecturally interesting but also taller by about 10 stories than what is there today. So the question remains: Why'd they tear the old structure down rather than slapping that nasty aluminum siding over the facade like they did to other buildings all up and down Market St.?

The answer would be obvious if what they ended up with was a "big new modern building" on the site, but in fact what's there now is a small (one story) architecturally undistinguished building I know pretty well because it houses my stockbroker, Fidelity.

So people are saying they tore down a historic 12-story building and built a dumpy, squat and totally inappropriate-for-the-location (really, it's almost as bad as the donut shop at Market & Van Ness) building so they could sell the "air rights" for another building in another location (and why that building would have lacked "air rights" of its own is another mystery)?

[pip]

I love picture threads like this. Hopefully I am not the only one who wants cable cars back.

An observation, San Francisco never really lost it compared to Midwest and East Coast cities.

[BTinSF]

Hopefully I am not the only one who wants cable cars back.


Huh? Back? They didn't go anywhere:

http://www.sfcablecar.com/images/sfroutes.gif

http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/images/SanFrancisco/CableCar/CalifStockton.jpg

http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/images/SanFrancisco/CableCar/CalifLarkin.jpg

http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/images/SanFrancisco/CableCar/HydeHill.jpg

[pip]

In general all American cities and extensive cable car service, ones that do not generally serve a tourist or elite photo perfect perspective. Cable cars for the masses. You knew that was my point.

[Manarii]

^^^So, as I suspected, what was there was not only more architecturally interesting but also taller by about 10 stories than what is there today. So the question remains: Why'd they tear the old structure down rather than slapping that nasty aluminum siding over the facade like they did to other buildings all up and down Market St.?

The answer would be obvious if what they ended up with was a "big new modern building" on the site, but in fact what's there now is a small (one story) architecturally undistinguished building I know pretty well because it houses my stockbroker, Fidelity.

So people are saying they tore down a historic 12-story building and built a dumpy, squat and totally inappropriate-for-the-location (really, it's almost as bad as the donut shop at Market & Van Ness) building so they could sell the "air rights" for another building in another location (and why that building would have lacked "air rights" of its own is another mystery)?


I dont think there's an answer to that. Just speculation on different peoples opinions. My theory it was a sign of the times. Post War, the 50's, 60's, modernization. Out with the old in with the new mentality. Powerful bank, new building, new banking plaza etc. Who knows. I am trying to find the photos, as I've recently seen them, of Wells Fargo's "headquarters" building on Montgomery that was being erected. There were photos of the plans, the mockup scales, and showing the demolition and building. It is the building next to Fidelity. the building where Fidelity is now was planned as their "San Francisco Main" branch right next to their headquarters tower. If you look at the Bank of America Center on California and Montgomery, there is the 52 story tower, and next to it is the SF Main branch in the same red granite color. They could have built another skyscraper there and who knows what was there before it was built. But back to Montgomery and Market, when I first moved to SF in 1982 that was where my Wells Fargo branch was, then I moved to Crocker just so I could have that beautiful Crocker Main branch at 1 Montgomery St. as my branch. (only I would do such a thing). Wells bought Crocker in the 80s and took over that 1 Montgomery building and closed that "fidelity" branch (which is across the street). I was employed by BofA in 1987 and had free checking at BofA.

ps you're so right about that Donut Shop (Allstar i think?). WHAT were they thinking.. I also understand the AAA building on Van Ness close to Market is another "clad" building. I am trying to find out what is underneath that building.

[Richard Mlynarik]

1915
[...]
1912
[...]
1966

Courtesy of the sfpl.

Good job! Thanks for making the effort.

[Richard Mlynarik]

So the question remains: Why'd they tear the old structure down rather than slapping that nasty aluminum siding over the facade like they did to other buildings all up and down Market St.?

De-Manhattanization!

[mthd]

Anybody know the story on this building? It looks like it was not only an architectural gem but also a pretty large one. I believe what's there now is much smaller--a one-story structure housing Fidelity Brokerage. So why'd they tear down the older, larger and much more architecturally significant building?

that 'fidelity' pavilion is the same project as the wells fargo headquarters building - now called 44 montgomery. this project predates all the current zoning, but it's pretty common to have a significant low rise portion of a project in order to get enough floor area to go really tall elsewhere. that's what they would mean by 'air rights' in this case - TDRs.

i doubt there were such restrictions in 1967, so more practically, i'm sure they wanted a large column free banking hall and couldn't put it under the footprint of the tower due to elevators, columns, stairs, etc etc etc.

[BTinSF]

In general all American cities and extensive cable car service, ones that do not generally serve a tourist or elite photo perfect perspective. Cable cars for the masses. You knew that was my point.

Actually, I didn't understand your point.

Also, it is a common mistake but a mistake none the less to think that SF's cable cars only "serve a tourist or elite photo perfect" clientele. San Francisco charges a ridiculous fare for one-time rides on the cable cars--I'm not even sure but I think it's $5 now, no transfers--so locals don't use them for that but monthly transit passes ARE accepted (Muni's Fast Pass). Although the Powell St lines are usually so overcrowded with tourists as to be problematic for locals, they do fill a missing link in crosstown service (there are essentially no crosstown busses between 7th St. and 3rd St.). The California St. line, on the other, hand, seems perpetually undiscovered by the tourists and I use it a lot to get down to the Financial District and it usually appears to me that most of my fellow riders are often local.

[BTinSF]

when I first moved to SF in 1982 that was where my Wells Fargo branch was, then I moved to Crocker just so I could have that beautiful Crocker Main branch at 1 Montgomery St. as my branch. (only I would do such a thing).

No, you aren't. My first bank in SF--also in 1982--was the "French" Branch of BofA which I chose largely because I liked the building. But it closed soon after and I ended up at the Market/Van Ness Branch (no architectural wonders there).