Use our slideshow below to view this beautiful panoramic photograph of San Francisco taken in the 1930s from the Parnassus campus of UCSF. The photograph is comprised of ten discrete photographs taped together to form an almost seamless panoramic image measuring 4.5″ x 54″ looking north and spanning west to east.
Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the images and see the slideshow.
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- A panoramic photograph taken from the UCSF Parnassus campus, circa 1933-1935, looking north and spanning west to east.
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- A portion of a panoramic photograph taken from the UCSF Parnassus campus, circa 1933-1935. This section looks to the west, depicting the Sunset neighborhood, the Pacific Ocean, and Golden Gate Park on the right.
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- A portion of a panoramic photograph taken from the UCSF Parnassus campus, circa 1933-1935. Looking northwest over Golden Gate Park, the hill of Marin are visible, as well as bare-looking Presidio, and the Golden Gate Bridge in the midst of construction.
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- A portion of a panoramic photograph taken from the UCSF Parnassus campus, circa 1933-1935. The old Kezar Stadium, former home of the SF 49ers and Oakland Raiders, is the foreground. Further back the towers of St. Ignatius Church on the USF campus are visible as well as downtown San Francisco to the right.
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- A portion of a panoramic photograph taken from the UCSF Parnassus campus, circa 1933-1935. Looking northeast, the photograph shows downtown and the East Bay in the distance.
Unfortunately, the photograph lacks accompanying information about its creation, however, several significant qualities have helped us to narrow down the date. Most significantly, in the second portion of the close-ups, on the right side, the unfinished Golden Gate Bridge is visible. The pylons closest to San Francisco can be seen, but not the suspension cables which, according to the Golden Gate Bridge Construction Timeline, puts the image somewhere in 1933-1935.
Other things of note include the presence of the original Kezar Stadium (former home of the SF 49ers and Oakland Raiders), the absence of the Bay Bridge (which was also under construction from 1933-1936), and the generally bare Presidio area.
What strikes you most about the photo? Let us know! We’d love to hear your insights into the old San Francisco landscape.