Came across this file randomly while browsing the Prelinger Archive, which I haven’t done in a while. The footage of longshoremen jockeying cargo on and off ships is a swift check on romanticism and a concrete reminder that, even long ago, industry on a mass scale was what drove almost all of our activity.
I logged a few of the bits that really stood out to me:
- 3:00 – Steam locomotives
navigating Market Street, andcruising along the Embarcardero. - 5:00 – Cool aerial footage; Ferry Building with street cars on a circular track in front and a heavy rail locomotive waiting (loading?) on the left; Golden Gate Ferries.
- 6:50 – I believe this is a quick shot of Dolores Street.
- 7:40 – Funky, animated relief maps of the area and trade routes, points of interest.
- 8:55 – Aerial footage of downtown, City Hall and Golden Gate Park.
- 10:45 – Aerial of the western side of the city; Golden Gate Park, including the bandshell area.
Related book: Historic Photos of San Francisco
From Amazon
From Powell’s
