San Francisco Then & Now – The Old Mint: 12 February 2017 & 4 March 2017

The San Francisco Mint was opened in 1854 to manufacture gold coins from gold bullion produced during the California Gold Rush. The mint soon needed a bigger building to process and store the large quantities of gold bullion it was receiving. In 1869 the mint moved to a larger building located at 88 5th Street at Mission Street. That building is now known as the Old Mint, and it is one of the few buildings that survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The damage caused to San Francisco by the 18 April 1906 earthquake pales in comparison to the devastation caused by the fifty-two fires that burned through the city for more than three days. There were 3,000 to 4,000 people killed, and 28,000 buildings were destroyed, most by fire. 

The Old Mint was designed by Alfred B. Mullett. He planned a building that was built around an enclosed central courtyard that contained a water well, a feature that helped save the building during the fires of April 1906. The building was constructed on a concrete base, the objective of which was to thwart tunneling into the mint's vaults. At the time of the 1906 fire, the mint held $300 million dollars in gold, a third of the United States’ gold reserves. Heroic efforts by the employees of the mint saved the building and the gold bullion stored in its vaults. The mint resumed operation soon thereafter. The Old Mint continued to function until 1937 when the currently operating mint was opened on Hermann Street in San Francisco. 

    The Old Mint THEN: 1885. Note the horse-drawn streetcar. The view is looking southwest. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

    The Old Mint NOW: 12 February 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

 The Old Mint THEN: 18 April 1906. The view is looking southeast. 

 The Old Mint  NOW: 12 February 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The Old Mint sits forlornly amidst total devastation after it survived both the earthquake and fire. This picture was taken soon after the 18 April 1906 earthquake and fire. The camera was attached to a kite; the view is looking northwest. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.



This photo was taken outside the Old Mint on 4 March 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.



This photo was taken inside the Old Mint on 4 March 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.



This photo was taken inside the Old Mint on 4 March 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.



This photo was taken inside the Old Mint on 4 March 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.




This photo was taken inside the Old Mint on 4 March 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.



This photo was taken inside the Old Mint on 4 March 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

A Panasonic GX7 camera body mounted with a Panasonic 14-42mm lens was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com

San Francisco Then & Now – The N-Judah light-rail line: 11 February 2017

The N-Judah Muni Metro light-rail line runs along Judah Street in the Sunset District for much of its length; it is named after railroad engineer Theodore Judah. The N-Judah line connects downtown San Francisco to the Cole Valley and Sunset neighborhoods. The line ends at the Pacific Ocean. It is the busiest light-rail line in the Muni Metro system; it served an average of 41,439-weekday passengers in 2013. The N-Judah line is also the only Muni Metro light-rail line that passes through the Sunset Tunnel. The N-Judah line began operation as a streetcar line in 1928 and was converted to a light-rail transportation system with the opening of the Muni Metro system in 1980.

The below photos were taken in the Inner Sunset neighborhood

The N-Judah Line NOW: 11 February 2017. This two car N-Judah light-rail vehicle is about to leave Irving Street and travel south on 9th Avenue for just one block. After which, the N-Judah light-rail turns west, onto Judah Street, and travels to the end of the line at Ocean Beach, and the Pacific Ocean.

The N-Judah Line THEN: 1978. This streetcar is heading west on Irving Street. It is about to turn south onto 9th Avenue. 

The N-Judah Line THEN: 1978. This streetcar is heading south on 9th Avenue. Golden Gate Park is visible in the background. 

The N-Judah Line NOW: 11 February 2017. This two-car light-rail vehicle is heading south on 9th Avenue. 

The N-Judah Line THEN: 1975. This streetcar headed south on 9th Avenue for one block before it is about to turn west onto Judah Street. 

The N-Judah Line NOW: 11 February 2017. This two-car light-rail vehicle is heading south on 9th Avenue just before it is about to turn west onto Judah Street and continue to Ocean Beach, the end of the line. 

The distance traveled was approximately 5.8 miles (9.3 kilometers). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. The cumulative elevation gain was about 374 feet (114 meters), the cumulative elevation descent was 581 feet (177 meters). Click on the image to see the full-size map.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

A Panasonic GX7 camera body mounted with a Panasonic 14-42mm lens was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com

Rainy day photos of Berkeley, California: 8 & 9 February 2017

Rain, beautiful rain... A house on Josephine Street, North Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

 Monterey Market is located on Hopkins Street, North Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The North Berkeley Branch of the Berkeley Public Library is located on The Alameda. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

 Cedar Grocery Market is located on Cedar Street at California Street, North Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

 The Berkeley Cheese Board Pizza Collective is located on Shattuck Avenue, North Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

 The bread and pastry area of the Berkeley Cheeseboard Collective in North Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

 The Hopkins Street shopping area, North Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

 The original Peet’s Coffee Shop is located at the corner of Vine Street and Walnut Street, North Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

 Berkeley Natural Grocery is located on Gilman Street in the Westbrae area of Berkeley. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

An Olympus TG-4 camera was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com

San Francisco's Mission District: 28 January 2017

The 18 April 1906 San Francisco earthquake occurred at 5:12 a.m. Because of the violent and prolonged shaking, which lasted approximately 42 seconds, the earthquake produced significant damage to a large number of buildings. It was also the cause of approximately 52 out-of-control fires that burned unabated for approximately three days. The many fires slowly worked their individual ways through a large area of San Francisco. Three to four thousand people died due to the multiple fires and earthquake.

THEN  This picture was taken from Mission Delores Park on 19 April 1906, the day after the earthquake. The view is looking northeast. On the left is Mission High School, which first opened its doors to students in 1896. The school survived the earthquake and fire of 1906, but sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 1922. The high school was rebuilt, and the new campus reopened in 1927. 

All of the houses visible in this picture were, by the end of the day, consumed by flames. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

NOW  This is a current view of the 19 April 1906 photograph. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

This apartment building is located at the southwest corner of 18th Street and Valencia Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This apartment building is located at the northeast corner of 16th Street and Julian Avenue. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

This is a J Church Muni Metro streetcar heading towards Noe Valley. It is traveling on tracks which are contiguous with the western side of Mission Delores Park. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Mission National Bank is located at 3060 16th Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A banda excelente is playing some rocking Mexican music, directly above the underground BART 24th Street Mission train station. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The Guerrero Hill Market is located on northeast corner of Guerrero Street and 22nd Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

A Panasonic GX7 camera body mounted with a Panasonic 14-42mm lens was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com

Corona Heights Park, San Francisco, Then & Now: 14 & 16 January 2017

Corona Heights Park is located above the  Corona Heights neighborhood and the Castro Neighborhood. The park is Buena Vista Park’s southerly sister, and it has some of the best views of San Francisco. In the early days of San Francisco, the hill was known as Rocky Hill. It was also known for the brick-making kiln and rock quarry sited on the lower southeastern side of the hill. The rock quarry and kiln were owned and operated by two brothers, George, and Harry Gray; they established the rock quarry and brick factory on Rocky Hill in 1899. San Francisco needed stone and bricks for ship ballast, construction, street paving, bay fill, and other uses, and the Gray brothers provided them. The brothers also operated rock quarries on Telegraph Hill and Billy Goat Hill. The brick-making kiln on Rocky Hill burned during the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, but rock quarrying continued, and the kiln was rebuilt. 

On 10 November 1914, a desperate 36-year-old former quarry worker named Joseph Lococo approached owner George Gray to request $17.50 due him in back wages. The Sicilian immigrant was ill and was about to be evicted from his house on Arkansas Street. He, his wife, and their two babies had not eaten for two days. George Gray refused to pay him and told him to get out. Joseph Lococo then pulled out a gun and shot George Gray to death. Joseph Lococo was acquitted because of temporary insanity and walked out of the courtroom a free man. Harry Gray shut down the rock quarry and brick kiln operation in 1915.

In 1928 Josephine Randall the Recreation Superintendent of San Francisco proposed that the City buy the 16-acre Rocky Hill site as a recreation location for the residents of San Francisco; it was purchased by the City in 1941 and named Corona Heights Park. The Randall Museum, located on the lower southwest side of the hill, opened in 1951. It was the desire of Josephine Randall to create a place where city children could experience “a day in the country" and learn to love natural history, science, and crafts. Today, the museum offers science exhibits, art and ceramics classes, a theater, and a carpentry workshop.

I went to Corona Heights Park on both the 14th and 16th of January 2017 so that I would be able to take pictures of the park from several dissimilar locations.

This is a view of Corona Heights Park; the view is looking northeast. The photograph was taken from the top of Tank Hill. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The photograph was taken from the top of Corona Heights Park; the view is looking east. Mount Diablo can be seen at about thirty-five miles in the distance. Oakland is visible across San Francisco Bay. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.



THEN   This view of Rocky Hill, now known as Corona Heights Park, shows the brick kiln built by the Gray Brothers. The photo was taken from Kite Hill circa 1900. The view is looking north.



NOW   This picture of Corona Heights Park was taken from Solari Hill, also known as Kite Hill Open Space. The location of the site of the brick kiln can be seen. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Here is another view of Rocky Hill; this photo was taken circa 1904. This photo was taken from a camera attached to a kite. 

 One final view of Rocky Hill; this photo was taken circa 1905. The view looks northwest. The brick kiln is almost entirely out of sight on the far left. You will notice some quarry scars on the hillside. 

This plat map of the brick kiln, the surrounding streets, property lines, and houses were drawn in the early 1900s. 

This is one of the few remnants of the brick kiln building. It is located adjacent to State Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

These bricks were used to build a retaining wall. The wall is also located adjacent to State Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

This was the location of the Gray Brother's brick kiln building. The land is now used for tennis courts and as a small playing field. The view is looking west; Sutro Tower is ahead in the distance. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This is the summit of Corona Heights Park; it is at an elevation of 520 feet (158 meters). The view is from the west side of the park. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.



This view of Corona Heights Park was taken from 20th Street. Behind Corona Heights Park is Buena Vista Park, the first official park in the City of San Francisco. Between Corona Heights Park and Buena Vista Park is a long building whose exterior is painted in a light pink hue. That building was originally St. Joseph’s Hospital; it was built between 1926-1928. The building was converted to condominiums in 1979. The view is looking north. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

This picture of Corona Heights Park was taken from Solari Hill. Mr. Solari was a farmer whose cows grazed in the area. Thanks to Mark Lillie for the background information about the naming of Solari Hill. The hill is officially known as Kite Hill Open Space. In this photo, the location of the brick kiln site can be seen at Corona Heights Park. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This is a picture of Kite Hill Open Space. Corona Heights Park is visible in the background on the left side of the photo. The view is looking northeast. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

Beautiful Twin Peaks. The peak on the left is Noe Peak, 910 feet (277 meters), and the peak on the right is Eureka Peak, 904 feet (275 meters). The view looks southwest. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This picture was taken on a Muni Metro F-Market & Wharves streetcar traveling north on Market Street towards downtown San Francisco and its final stop at Fisherman's Wharf. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The distance traveled on 14 January 2017 was approximately 3.9 miles (6.3 kilometers). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. The cumulative elevation gain was about 778 feet (237 meters). Click on the image to see the full-size map.

A graph of the elevation changes encountered during the walk on 14 January 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size chart.

The distance traveled on 16 January 2017 was approximately 6.7 miles (10.8 kilometers). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. The cumulative elevation gain was about 997 feet (304 meters). Click on the image to see the full-size map.

A graph of the elevation changes encountered during the walk on 16 January 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size chart.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

A Panasonic GX7 camera body mounted with a Panasonic 14-42mm lens was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com.