San Francisco Subjects Photography Collection, 1850s-1980s, bulk 1870s-1970s

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Title:
San Francisco Subjects photograph collection
Dates:
1850s-1980s, bulk 1870s-1970s
Abstract:
Contains over 20,000 photographs, postcards and other visual materials depicting scenes of San Francisco places, people, and events from the 1850s to the 1980s.
Extent:
76 Linear Feet (102 manuscript boxes, 25 oversize flat boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[identification of item, date] San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (PC SF). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Background

Scope and content:

Contains over 20,000 photographs and postcards depicting scenes of San Francisco places, people, the natural and built environment, events and activities, and clubs and organizations from the 1850s to the 1980s. Each listing represents a file containing from one to more than fifty images. Some files may contain non-photographic reproductions, illustrations, and othervisual materials. Some of the photographs are copyprints taken by AP photographers and San Francisco Chronicle photographers for news stories.

Includes images of places listed by category (parks, beaches, cemeteries, islands, etc.), types of establishments (banks, churches, hotels, saloons, etc.), specific buildings and structures (City Hall, Holmes Book Store, Jewish Home for the Aged, Golden Gate Bridge, etc.), as well as districts and neighborhoods (Mission District, Chinatown, North Beach). Views of San Francisco homes and street scenes are found under the headings for architecture-- domestic, and transportation. Also includes images depicting members of organizations (Bohemian Club, San Francisco Bicycle Club, Swedish Athletic Club, etc.) and social groups (Chinese Americans, Italian Americans, etc.), as well as general categories of people by occupation (butchers, labor, newsboys, police). Also includes photographs of events such as expositions and fairs, including the Panama Pacific International Exposition, holidays, parades, strikes, and the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.

Acquisition information:

The California Historical Society (CHS) acquired and collected the photographs, postcards, and other visual materials in this collection from various sources over a span of decades. The bulk of the photographs came in as one-off donations, or as unsolicited donations, while others may have been purchased by CHS. Legacy archival practice was to separate photos from manuscript collections and as a result photographs related to San Francisco were often interleaved into the San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection.

The collection was transferred to Stanford University Libraries in 2025.

Processing information:

This collection was reviewed in June 2026. In some cases, folder headings were updated. Original box numbers were maintained. Note that there is no Box 62, Box 63 or Box 64. These did not appear in the original collection and likely had materials in them that were removed or interleaved at an earlier time. These box numbers therefore do not appear in the updated finding aid.

There were no subject headings under Q or X, and therefore these series were removed.

Boxes 105 through 128 house oversize photographs that correlate to the arrangement of the regular photographs, that is, arranged alphabetically by subject.

Arrangement:

Organized alphabetically by and within each subject heading.

Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged three business days in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections.
Dimensions:
(Flat boxes are approx. 38" x 26" x 2" deep)
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Trina Lopez, Wendy Welker, Brenda Baldwin, and Mary Morganti.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-08-28 16:33:59 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-collections/permission-publish.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item, date] San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (PC SF). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Location of this collection:
Department of Special Collections, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
chscollection@stanford.edu
Website