Postcard depicting the Civic Center, featuring City Hall and surrounding buildings, San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – San Francisco today is known as a tech-forward, constantly-evolving city. But it has a long history!
In addition to running Bay Area Telegraph, I’ve spent the last 15 years running a company that digitizes and shares archival photos.
We recently discovered a rarely-seen batch of full color postcards of San Francisco from the 1920s-1930s. They show a totally different city! Enjoy.
Postcard depicting City Hall and Auditorium at Civic Center, San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)Postcard of the Civic Auditorium at the Civic Center in San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)Postcard depicting the Civic Center, featuring City Hall and surrounding buildings, San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)Postcard of Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, depicting people walking along a path and boats on the water, San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)Postcard of the Rustic Stone Bridge over Stow Lake, with people in rowboats and strolling along the path, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)Postcard of the illuminated Ferry Building during Shrine Illuminations, San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)Postcard of Market Street at night, looking west, featuring illuminated storefronts and buildings in San Francisco, California, United States, 1930. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)Postcard of the Whitcomb Hotel, featuring its building facade and bustling streetcars, San Francisco, California, United States, 1920. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)
Thomas Smith is a food and travel photographer and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His photographic work routinely appears in publications including Food and Wine, Conde Nast Traveler, and the New York Times and his writing appears in IEEE Spectrum, SFGate, the Bold Italic and more. Smith holds a degree in Cognitive Science (Neuroscience) and Anthropology from the Johns Hopkins University.
