San Francisco has always been a city unafraid of change and innovation. Even in its toughest, shakiest times, its residents have fought hard to rebuild it and turn it into one of the U.S.’s most charming cities. Here, we’ve gathered photos—some that trace all the way back to the Gold Rush—that capture the city in a time before its great bridges were built. See San Francisco then and now, from the bay to the breakers.
- Market Street: 1906 (Before the Earthquake) & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Jeremy Brooks
- The Ferry Building: 1906 (After the Earthquake) & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Neil Howard
- The Cliff House: 1902, 1941, & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
- Bay Bridge: Under Construction in 1935 & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Big & Small Travel
- Inside Sutro Baths in the Late 1890s & Now
Wikimedia Commons
flickr/torbakhopper
- Sacramento Street: Right After the 1906 Earthquake & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Big & Small Travel
- What Would Become Portsmouth Square in Chinatown: 1851 & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Yelp/Adam S.
- Montgomery Street: 1856 & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Big & Small Travel
- Aerial Shot of Crissy Field: 1921 & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Todd Lappin
- Filbert Street in Telegraph Hill: 1940 & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Ken Lund
- Powell Street: 1959 & Nonw
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Prayitno
- Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge: 1933 & Now
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Steven Yu
What do you think of these then and now photos? If you could live in San Francisco at any moment in time, when would that be? Let us know in the comments!
Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Jeremy Brooks
Flickr/Neil Howard
Big & Small Travel
flickr/torbakhopper
Yelp/Adam S.
Flickr/Todd Lappin
Flickr/Ken Lund
Flickr/Prayitno
Flickr/Steven Yu
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