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San Francisco Streets in the 1920s captured in Photos showcasing the era’s Urban Charm

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The 1920s saw San Francisco’s street grid expand and evolve to accommodate the city’s growing population and economic activities. Key thoroughfares like Market Street solidified their status as commercial and cultural arteries, bustling with trams, automobiles, and pedestrians.

Neighborhoods such as the Marina District began to develop, offering picturesque views and stylish living to San Francisco’s burgeoning middle class. Meanwhile, Lombard Street’s famous crooked design was completed in 1922, becoming one of the city’s most iconic and photographed streets.

The Rise of Iconic Landmarks

Several landmarks that today define San Francisco’s skyline and cultural heritage either rose to prominence or were conceived. The planning and funding for Coit Tower, intended as a monument to the city’s firefighters, began, although its actual construction would be completed in the following decade.

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The Pacific Telephone Building, an Art Deco skyscraper completed in 1925, stood as the city’s tallest building for many years, symbolizing San Francisco’s growing economic might. Meanwhile, the Palace of Fine Arts, originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and rebuilt in the 1920s, became a favored spot for leisure and photography with its classical Greco-Roman columns and serene lagoon.

Architectural Renaissance

The 1920s in San Francisco were characterized by an architectural renaissance, with the emergence of Art Deco and the continuation of the Beaux-Arts movement. The sleek lines, geometric patterns, and innovative use of materials like terra cotta in buildings such as the Pacific Telephone Building exemplified the Art Deco movement’s influence. At the same time, the grandeur and symmetry of Beaux-Arts architecture, influenced by the City Beautiful movement, were visible in civic buildings and public spaces, aiming to inspire and elevate through design and form.

#4 Mission Street at 24th, circa 1926

Mission Street at 24th, circa 1926

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#9 Crocker Estate Co. Building on Market Street, 1924

Crocker Estate Co. Building on Market Street, 1924

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#10 California Street at Sansome, 1926

California Street at Sansome, 1926

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#13 Howard Street at 4th, circa 1925

Howard Street at 4th, circa 1925

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#16 Whitney Building on Geary Street between Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, 1924

Whitney Building on Geary Street between Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, 1924

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#20 Broadway at Kearny, 1929

Broadway at Kearny, 1929

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#21 View of San Francisco northwest from the Hall of Justice, 1921

View of San Francisco northwest from the Hall of Justice, 1921

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#22 Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building at 1045 Capp Street, 1928

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building at 1045 Capp Street, 1928

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#23 Grant Avenue at Jackson Street, 1926

Grant Avenue at Jackson Street, 1926

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#30 Van Ness Avenue at Chestnut Street, 1929

Van Ness Avenue at Chestnut Street, 1929

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#32 Mission Street between Lowell and Guttenberg, 1929

Mission Street between Lowell and Guttenberg, 1929

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#33 Corner of Sutter Street and Grant Avenue in the 1920s

Corner of Sutter Street and Grant Avenue in the 1920s

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#34 Water cascading from Sutro Heights across from Ocean Beach, 1927

Water cascading from Sutro Heights across from Ocean Beach, 1927

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#37 View of downtown San Francisco looking southeast, 1923

View of downtown San Francisco looking southeast, 1923

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#38 St. James Presbyterian Church, date not specified

St. James Presbyterian Church, date not specified

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#39 Corenson’s Shows, Diamond Jubilee, San Francisco, 1925

Corenson's Shows, Diamond Jubilee, San Francisco, 1925

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#40 Van Ness Avenue at Clay Street, 1929

Van Ness Avenue at Clay Street, 1929

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#43 Market Street, 1928

Market Street, 1928

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#46 Men at the intersection of Third and Bayshore Streets, 1929

Men at the intersection of Third and Bayshore Streets, 1929

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#50 Market Street east from 4th Street in the 1920s

Market Street east from 4th Street in the 1920s

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#53 California Street at Lyon Street, 1926

California Street at Lyon Street, 1926

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#57 Lotta’s Fountain at Market and Geary Streets, 1927

Lotta's Fountain at Market and Geary Streets, 1927

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#60 Building the first Richmond ferry, 1924

Building the first Richmond ferry, 1924

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#63 Mission Street at Sickles, 1926

Mission Street at Sickles, 1926

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#64 Detention building at Angel Island Immigration Station in the 1920s

Detention building at Angel Island Immigration Station in the 1920s

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#65 Chronicle Building on Market and Third Street in the 1920s

Chronicle Building on Market and Third Street in the 1920s

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#67 Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building at 444 Bush Street in the 1920s

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building at 444 Bush Street in the 1920s

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#68 Aerial view of downtown San Francisco and waterfront, circa 1926

Aerial view of downtown San Francisco and waterfront, circa 1926

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#70 Cable car construction on Sacramento Street, 1949

Cable car construction on Sacramento Street, 1949

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#73 View of San Francisco Bay from Telegraph Hill, 1928

View of San Francisco Bay from Telegraph Hill, 1928

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#76 View of piers and shoreline towards the bay, 1927

View of piers and shoreline towards the bay, 1927

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#80 Third Street near Rivere Avenue, 1928

Third Street near Rivere Avenue, 1928

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#82 Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building on 19th Avenue, 1926

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building on 19th Avenue, 1926

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#83 View of downtown overlooking Embarcadero in the 1920s

View of downtown overlooking Embarcadero in the 1920s

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#86 Sacramento Street overlooking the bay in the 1940s

Sacramento Street overlooking the bay in the 1940s

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#90 Howard Street at 23rd, circa 1927

Howard Street at 23rd, circa 1927

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#93 Men at Salvation Army woodyard, 1928

Men at Salvation Army woodyard, 1928

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#96 Hospital at Angel Island immigration station, 1928

Hospital at Angel Island immigration station, 1928

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#100 Bayshore Highway, circa 1929

Bayshore Highway, circa 1929

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#103 View of the Presidio and San Francisco Bay, 1899

View of the Presidio and San Francisco Bay, 1899

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#106 Main Library and Civic Center Plaza between 1925 and 1926

Main Library and Civic Center Plaza between 1925 and 1926

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#107 Downtown San Francisco northwest view with Alcatraz in distance in the 1920s

Downtown San Francisco northwest view with Alcatraz in distance in the 1920s

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#108 Cars on the Embarcadero near Ferry Building, 1920

Cars on the Embarcadero near Ferry Building, 1920

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#109 View of San Francisco east from the Hall of Justice, 1921

View of San Francisco east from the Hall of Justice, 1921

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#110 Van Ness Avenue at Eddy Street, 1929

Van Ness Avenue at Eddy Street, 1929

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#112 View of California Street looking west, circa 1920

View of California Street looking west, circa 1920

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#113 Mission Street at Cortland, 1926

Mission Street at Cortland, 1926

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#120 California Street, 1929

California Street, 1929

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#121 Sacramento between Mason and Powell Streets, 1928

Sacramento between Mason and Powell Streets, 1928

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#123 Downtown view in the 1920s

Downtown view in the 1920s

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#124 Looking north from Sacramento and Drumm Streets, circa 1924

Looking north from Sacramento and Drumm Streets, circa 1924

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#127 Market between 5th and Powell Street in the mid-1920s

Market between 5th and Powell Street in the mid-1920s

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#130 Downtown San Francisco with Yerba Buena Island and bay in the 1920s

Downtown San Francisco with Yerba Buena Island and bay in the 1920s

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#133 View of the shoreline, including piers 18 through 22, from the bay, circa 1924

View of the shoreline, including piers 18 through 22, from the bay, circa 1924

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#140 Commuters exiting the Ferry Building, 1924

Commuters exiting the Ferry Building, 1924

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#143 Post Street at Laguna, 1926

Post Street at Laguna, 1926

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#148 Downtown San Francisco view with Yerba Buena Island and bay in the 1920s

Downtown San Francisco view with Yerba Buena Island and bay in the 1920s

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#150 Aerial view of the Western Addition district, 1927

Aerial view of the Western Addition district, 1927

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#153 View of San Francisco northeast from the Hall of Justice, 1921

View of San Francisco northeast from the Hall of Justice, 1921

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#159 Administration building at Angel Island immigration station, 1928

Administration building at Angel Island immigration station, 1928

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#160 Downtown San Francisco buildings in the 1920s

Downtown San Francisco buildings in the 1920s

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#161 Looking down Powell Street from Fairmont Hotel, 1924

Looking down Powell Street from Fairmont Hotel, 1924

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#162 Mission Street at Ocean Avenue in Excelsior District, 1929

Mission Street at Ocean Avenue in Excelsior District, 1929

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#163 Geary Street, 1927

Geary Street, 1927

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#167 Harrison Street looking southwest from 2nd Street, 1928

Harrison Street looking southwest from 2nd Street, 1928

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#170 Ocean Boulevard and surf from Sutro Heights in the 1920s

Ocean Boulevard and surf from Sutro Heights in the 1920s

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#172 California Street between Kearny and Montgomery looking east in the 1920s

California Street between Kearny and Montgomery looking east in the 1920s

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#173 City Hall, Civic Center Plaza in the 1920s

City Hall, Civic Center Plaza in the 1920s

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#175 View down Kearny Street from near Columbus looking south, 1922

View down Kearny Street from near Columbus looking south, 1922

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#177 View of San Francisco southwest from the Hall of Justice, 1921

View of San Francisco southwest from the Hall of Justice, 1921

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#179 Man next to parked car on Fillmore Street hill, 1922

Man next to parked car on Fillmore Street hill, 1922

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#180 Lotta’s Fountain at Market Street near Kearny and Geary looking east in the 1920s

Lotta's Fountain at Market Street near Kearny and Geary looking east in the 1920s

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#181 Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building, circa 1927

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building, circa 1927

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#183 Market Street looking east from Stockton, 1920s

Market Street looking east from Stockton, 1920s

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#186 Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building at Bush and Larkin streets, 1928

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company building at Bush and Larkin streets, 1928

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#187 Policeman directing traffic at Mission and 4th streets, 1925

Policeman directing traffic at Mission and 4th streets, 1925

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#188 Castro Street south from 29th to 30th streets, circa 1927

Castro Street south from 29th to 30th streets, circa 1927

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#189 States Street looking east towards Castro Street, 1927

States Street looking east towards Castro Street, 1927

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#190 City Hall, Civic Center Plaza, 1925

City Hall, Civic Center Plaza, 1925

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#191 Interior of Matsuya Store on Post and Buchanan Streets, between 1920 and 1929

Interior of Matsuya Store on Post and Buchanan Streets, between 1920 and 1929

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#192 Class and patients of Calleo California College of Chiropody, between 1920 and 1925

Class and patients of Calleo California College of Chiropody, between 1920 and 1925

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#193 C.A. Anderson Funeral Home on Valencia Street, circa 1920

C.A. Anderson Funeral Home on Valencia Street, circa 1920

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#195 House on Steiner Street that survived 1906 earthquake, between 1940 and 1945

House on Steiner Street that survived 1906 earthquake, between 1940 and 1945

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#200 Geary Street at 5th Avenue, 1925

Geary Street at 5th Avenue, 1925

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#203 Partial view of the docks in San Francisco in the 1920s

Partial view of the docks in San Francisco in the 1920s

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#204 Crowded Ocean Beach near Cliff House, circa 1921

Crowded Ocean Beach near Cliff House, circa 1921

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#207 View of waterfront northwest from the bay in the 1920s

View of waterfront northwest from the bay in the 1920s

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#209 Proposed Route of Way Van Ness Avenue Extension from Roof near Howard and 13th Street, 1921

Proposed Route of Way Van Ness Avenue Extension from Roof near Howard and 13th Street, 1921

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#210 Sacramento Street looking downtown from Presidio Avenue, 1944

Sacramento Street looking downtown from Presidio Avenue, 1944

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#211 Four people in a parked car at Marina Yacht Harbor, 1929

Four people in a parked car at Marina Yacht Harbor, 1929

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#212 Bush Street looking east from Kearny, circa 1924

Bush Street looking east from Kearny, circa 1924

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#213 Crowd around Cable Car accident at California Street and Sansome, 1925

Crowd around Cable Car accident at California Street and Sansome, 1925

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#218 View of California Street looking east from Gough, 1926

View of California Street looking east from Gough, 1926

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Written by Kevin Clark

Kevin Clark is a historian and writer who is passionate about sharing the stories and significance behind historical photos. He loves to explore hidden histories and cultural contexts behind the images, providing a unique insight into the past.

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