After living in SF for 8 years in the ’90s, it was only a matter of time before I devoted one of these vintage posts to the city. Here’s a brief gallery, from the ’50s to the early 70s, covering a number of sites in the City By The Bay. As it’s normal, most show touristy and emblematic sites, like Fisherman’s Wharf above.
I’ll do my best to guess a few locations, but my memory may be faulty after these many years. SF folks, feel free to add any help.
Coit Tower is in the distance. I can’t place the railroad area in the image, and makes me wonder if this was altered before my time.
A view with Alcatraz on the horizon, most likely taken from the Marina area.
The Bay Bridge, when it still had two-way traffic lanes.
Another view around Fisherman’s Wharf.
Downtown SF, in a corner I can’t quite identify.
SF City Hall.
Mason and Pine, in Nob Hill. Also, these hilly streets are rather fun in small vehicles.
The Civic Auditorium, seen from the stairs of City Hall.
I believe this was taken from Twin Peaks, if so, the small hill on the left is Bernal Heights.
And finally, the Cow Palace in the 70s.
I liked driving my MG thru SF, but it was heck on my clutch.
Nice to see all the various colors and two-tones again, a reminder of the past. It seems people today are afraid to deviate from the different shades of silver and white for fear of who knows what. Among the downsides of this trend is losing track of where you parked your car in the massive parking lots at the WalMarts and Costcos…
It’s not even people — it’s the dealers and manufacturers. I drive a white recent model VW GLI. I would happily have bought it in a real color. The problem is that other than maybe Honda, the manufacturers don’t offer anything except white, gray, and black and sometimes, if you’re lucky, fire engine red. Even when they do deign to provide a color, it’s often a special order costing extra.
The GLI is now available in blue, which it wasn’t at the time I bought, so that’s at least some progress.
There’s a Mini Traveler parked behind the Skylark on Pine St. Given that quite few Minis were officially imported, it may well be an early private import.
Sure would like to see that Traveller from additional angles, as well as from the inside.
Ya think it has the single Cyclops Gauge, Magic Wand Shifter, Pull-cord inside door openers, Bus-size steering wheel, and Sliding Side Windows?😎
I hadn’t spotted the Mini, thanks for pointing it out Paul and Dan. Of course it’s only a Traveller if it’s a Morris Mini – Minor, if it’s an Austin Se7en it’s a Countryman 🙄
My mum and brother had the delivery van versions of this as their first cars. The van didn’t have side windows or a seat in the back and the front grille was a fixed body colour pressing. There was a small (I think about 6×3 inches) metal vent flap in the middle of the roof. Mum’s was in the early 60s and she had a seat put in the back for us boys. Brother’s was a 1971 and had a ‘recirculating’ heater, which was basically a radiator and a fan in the front footwell. To adjust the temperature you turned a valve on the cylinder head.
Mum’s first new car was a 1971 Mini 850 – no Austin or Morris branding by then – which had wind up door windows but kept the magic wand gearlever, central speedo and bus like steering wheel. The ‘fresh air’ heater sucked air from the right side of the grille through a tube under the wing to the heater under the dash. A pull knob which mirrored the choke controlled the hot water flow. Direction and single speed fan on a separate panel under the dash.
British built LCV van and pickup Minis kept sliding door windows and outside door hinges until the end of production of the lwb Mini in the early 80s when they were phased out after the introduction of the Metro.
And two pictures with Karmann Gaia’s!
Oops, didn’t catch the autocorrect. That’s Ghia’s of course. Having grown up in that area I’m actually surprised there aren’t any Volvo 544’s or Renault Dauphines, each with distinctive shapes, lurking in any of the 1960’s photos. But the Mini Traveller more than makes up for that.
“Barbara Bel Geddes’ ” character , in :”Vertigo”, drove a “KG”. ((light blue))
My sister wanted one of those so much in her youth..
I can’t imagine how sad and depressing San Francisco must be today in knowing how it once was.
It’s true in some neighborhoods, but like Portland and Seattle it’s still a thriving place overall. And in the ‘50’s – ‘80’s there were parts of SF, like Hunter’s Point or the Outer Mission, where living conditions, poverty and crime where horrible; it was just less visible to visitors than the situation now on Market, the Tenderloin and around City Hall.
As usual another comment from someone who most likely have never lived in the City nor been in the City for years if ever. I’m over there every month and see the neighborhoods (districts) and would live there again if I didn’t have 10 cars.
Brother from another mother! Houses on the Peninsula are seriously short on garage space!
As usual, another comment from someone not knowing and assuming the experience of the OP.
All those colorful “Fords” @ the marina; thinking some were “rental rides”. H’mm. The yellow one, front/ center is a “looker”.
That lovely ’57 Ford with Alcatraz in the background was probably nearly new when that photo was snapped, as there are no other cars of newer model years (I see one other ’57, a Lincoln). Alcatraz was very much an operating prison at the time. That Ford, and the shoreline generally, would have been very visible from the prison grounds — from which SF appears tantalizingly closer than it is — fueling many unsuccessful escape attempts, and, if I recall, perhaps one that succeeded, although no one really knows for sure.
Great pictures! 🙂
I’m no expert on San Francisco, but I believe that your second picture is the Waterfront, obviously before it was redeveloped, losing most of the railroad tracks.
Here’s a photo I took the last time i was there – 2019 – from what may be nearly the same spot/perspective in your photo. This was facing Telegraph Hill with Pier 23 to my back. It looks like some of the same buildings are still standing up on the hill, next to Coit Tower. Cool.
There’s a nicely atmospheric San Francisco crime film from 1958, ‘The Lineup’, available on YouTube. It was shot largely on location, and the first five minutes take place at the pre-developed waterfront. Lots of CC interest throughout the film in general as well.
San Francisco: Old Indian term for “my clutch is burnt.”
That might account for a fair number of transmission service shops located downhill in the City.
LOL ! .
I seem to recall Satch Carlson and others regularly saying a brake and clutch shop was a gold mine in S.F. .
I never had any difficulties with either when I was there .
-Nate
Nice shots, the downtown one with the VW Transporter is the corner of Market and 6th as viewed from the south side of Market. The building in the background on the left with the arches is the Golden Gate Theatre. I used to walk or drive by that corner all the time when I worked sort of nearby…
The entire watefront was a busy port in the 1950’s and 1960’s before the advent of containerization, whereupon the major port activity in the San Francisco Bay moved to Oakland, partly due to better rail and freeway access.
Rich, outstanding work, if you are doing the restoration and colour correction on these great images. The photo enhancements make a huge difference, in increasing their appeal.
COLORFUL CARS! Who would believe it? Also, a CLEAN San Francisco.
Now that the apparent branch of WEF called “COLOR” MARKETING GROUP is busy turning the world into achromatic (NO COLOR) schemes we should all be thankful that we are allowed a White, Gray or Black vehicle, RV (check out the COMPLETE lack of color on/in new RVs….yuck) or house. Rather di$gu$ting isn’t it? 🙁 Oh yes, my Accord is a metallic red. One of the few colors currently allowed. Those radical folks at Jeep do have several nice COLORS to choose from! 🙂 Obviously they need some reeducation.
The last time we visited was in our almost new 1970 VW Super Bug in a bright orange called Clementine; the city was very impressive to look at. We drove all over the beautiful SF metro area, but I did have to stop once to let my fading drum brakes cool off….. DFO
2nd-to-last photo: 67/68 Vista Cruiser next to Greyhound —
Suddenly, it strikes me that Olds may have borrowed the wagon’s vertical tail-light design from the uncommon full-size Olds 88 1961 wagons. 😉
This station wagon for me, please.
I vividly remember visiting S.F. the first time in 1968 ~ what a place .
After I moved to California I’d drive up and visit every January, one more broke @$$ hippie in an old VW Bug .
Bis ply tires couldn’t hold traction on the cable car tracks when they were wet with mist .
What was that neat twisty street ? Lombard or something, I was pleased there was no traffic on it the day I drove it .
-Nate
The railroad was the State Belt RR owned by the State of California, later sold to the city and renamed San Francisco Belt RR. In that era, lots of freight came off ships on the many piers at the Port of San Francisco. The Belt RR also went along the northern shore of the San Francisco peninsula, serving military facilities at Fort Mason and The Presidio.
When the famous “Flying Scotsman” English steam locomotive visited San Francisco, it operated excursions on the San Francisco Belt Railroad.
The railroad is gone now. Its enginehouse survives, repurposed as office space and recognizable by its shape as what it once was and by rails intentionally left behind in the concrete paving surrounding it. Construction on land adjoining where the tracks used to be, now defines the former rights-of-way in many places.
The picture ID’d as Pine St…that’s actually Mason (where it crosses Pine)…and that would be Lower Nob Hill – not Pacific Heights…
“…Pine Street, around Pacific Heights. Also, these hilly streets are rather fun in small vehicles.”
Pacific Heights is some distance away. That is NOB HILL.
Thanks. The post has been updated.
I’ll match the first photo. my parents moved to the Bay Area in 1972. When visiting my parents, while at SDSU, I would go to the City out of boredom. Many times driving the City very late at night all over. In the 80’s was in the City every weekend. Moved to the outer Richmond in 1988-98.
Railroad cars???
Victoria Station was a chain of restaurants all over the SF Bay Area which were housed in old train cars. They were known for serving prime at a reasonable price. This must be prior to 1989 as the Embarcadero Freeway is in the background – later torn down post Loma Prieta Earthquake.
I had no idea Victoria Station was a chain; I vividly recall one in downtown Cincinnati.
Funny – I didn’t know that either. This is the picture of our local Victoria Station restaurant (in Fairfax, Va.) in the late 1980s.
Hills
North Beach
Chinatown
Just a City street
Marina Green
Powell-Hyde Line Cable Car
Lotta’s Fountain
That pic has to have been taken at a quarter after 5am on some April 18th!
What is Fisherman’s Wharf without the Human Jukebox in the 70’s.
Cow Palace pic: that critter, is it real? If so, a sheep? Lamb? City guy here!
Yes, a real lamb. They held livestock and animal events there, like the Grand National Rodeo, believe it or not, hence the name. Saw Prince there in 1985 for his Purple Rain tour.
I notice the scads of 4 door hardtops in these shots, including the red 59 Ford in the first one, the yellow 57 Ford in front of Alcatraz, and the silver-blue 65 Plymouth in the shot on Mason and Pine. There are several Olds and Buick versions too, but the Ford and Plymouth 4 door hardtops were never as common.
Also, is that a 60 Mercury 2 door in the Civic Auditorium shot? It looks like a 2 door sedan, which is probably even more rare than the Ford 4 door hardtops.
1959-61, happiest years of my childhood. Airforce dad and mom divorced in 1959. Dad went to Germany, Mom went with kids to San Francisco.
I loved the fog, loved ridding my bike coasting down hills. Today it would be hard for me to walk up some of those hills I rode on my bike.
Mom had a serious boyfriend, Tony.. Tony had movie star good looks, had a new white Chevy convertible, and a Cessna plane. We flew to Vegas once a month.
Nothing last forever. Mom was working for the SF police, undercover, cover blown, she was beaten almost to death in our apartment bldg. parking garage. Mom was in hospital six weeks and brother & myself moved to a safe-house. That is when Dad came back from Germany and the Air Force moved us elsewhere.
SF will always be the best memories of my childhood.
My first trip to SAN FRANCISCO was in 1985. And immediately fell in love with the city by the Bay. Always had rental cars 🚗. On one trip I had a 1988 Lincoln Town Car and felt like a king! Only issue was going up steep hills and not being able to see what was ahead because of the magnificent long hood. Did successfully maneuver the big boat down Lombard St with caution. On another trip, although I had reserved a Town Car, the only available choice was a Honda or a Taurus! I was NOT happy and told Hertz in no uncertain terms, reluctantly choosing the Taurus (which was a dark beige). So much has changed! I am fortunate to have a beautiful low mileage 2007 Town Car Signature Limited (in a color called CASHMERE). Haven’t been back to SAN FRANCISCO for years, but understand it is not the SAN FRANCISCO I recall. We don’t even have new Town Cars! 😔. But my heart ❤ is forever in SAN FRANCISCO and Great American Luxury vehicles. Thanks to everyone who posted photos for a sentimental journey. And by the way I also recall even Luxury vehicles being available in Living Color! Who hasn’t thought of a 🎵PINK 🎶CADILLAC 🎵?
Indeed Rick ;
Some of us are old enough to remember pink Cadillac’s with Dagmars…..
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rusty+draper+pink+cadillac
-Nate
At several car shows, I have frequently told younger guys (looking at 57 Chevys) the story about Dagmars. Of course first I have to fill them in on who DAGMAR was! Even comparing her with Marilyn Monroe sometimes doesn’t register!
Frequently at car shows, I have told younger guys (looking at 57 Chevys) the story of Dagmars. Of course first I have to tell them who DAGMAR was. At times even comparing her to Marilyn Monroe doesn’t register!
The photo from the Embarcadero looking up the east face of Telegraph Hill (photo #2) has those railway cars because the tracks they were on were the old Belt Line, which ran along the waterfront there. The operation ceased in 1993, but portions of this track had been removed as early as c.1957 to make way for the old Embarcadero Freeway. The photo here looks like it dates from 1953, as the car closest to the camera (a Packard?) sports a 1951 California license plate on the front bumper with a white annual registration tab on the lower right corner – white was the tab color for that year.
Photo #10 of downtown San Francisco from Twin Peaks – it looks to have been taken around 1970, as the old Bank of America Headquarters is visible (completed in Sept. 1969), but there is no Transamerica Pyramid (completed, 1972).