Ocean Beach
"Long Branch House -- from the Cliff
House, San Francisco, Cal."
Watkins' New Series #3619
Courtesy of Bob Schlesinger
Seal Rock House
(left structure) and Ocean Beach Pavilion (large central structure)
Seal Rock House (L) and Ocean Beach Pavilion (R) in background
"Esplanade and Beach"
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
"The Cliff Road and Ocean Beach."
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
"No. 261. CLIFF HOUSE BEACH, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF."
"WE HAVE LOTS OF FUNN AT THE CLIFF HOUSE SF CAL 236"
"Cliff Road and Bathing Beach from
Cliff House, W.C.Billington, Photographer"
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And in this photo...
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"L. DOWE, Photo"
"Seal Rock House. - Ocean Beach."
(reverse)
| "My great grandfather (Prof. W. E. James) worked for I. W.
Taber as a photographer from about 1881 to 1886 .. passed down
through the family were views that matched some found onthe website.
However I’ve never seen a published view as the one that I have
attached (i.e., Ocean Beach FROM the cliff house (Taber wagon in
foreground - Taber logo just below the word Property). My ggf Prof. W. E. James (as most commonly listed .. the professor probably self-imposed but an apt description) (William E. James) worked for Taber between 1881 and early 1886. He brought with him quite a bit of experience in stereo photography. I think (but can’t quite confirm just yet) that he took many views for Taber including San Francisco harbor (& boats) and some places in Santa Barbara and Southern California (San Diego). Rarely did the big firms (Houseworth, Taber, Anthony of New York) actually give credit to the photographer so it is difficult to prove." Click here for more information on Prof W. E. James. Randolph James, 2/27/2015 |
"Taken on Cliff House beach on May 16 - 1910" (rev)
"CH-12 S.E. FROM CLIFF HOUSE 1880"
From source: "Original Negative From Glass Plate 8x10, Circa 1880, From the
Behrman Collection"
"M.B." are the initials for Martin Behrman
"SUTRO HEIGHTS, CLIFF ROAD AND BATHING BEACH."
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
Ocean Beach, c 1911
Photographer: H. C. Tibbitts
John Hall Collection
Ocean Beach, lifeboat, c 1911
Photographer: H. C. Tibbitts
John Hall Collection
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
"229. The Coast, South from Cliff House"
"PLAYLAND AT THE BEACH, SAN FRANCISCO" , 1938
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
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The photo date is derived from the
following observations: Frank Sternad (12/29/2014): No Looff Carousel, so pre-1914. John Freeman (12/29/2014): The Golden Gate Ostrich Farm wouldn’t secure permission from the health department to make the move down from 47th & Balboa to open at Great Highway and Cabrillo until August 18, 1913, but the fences were in place. GGOF would only paint them and put up signs, adding pens for the ostriches and a small sales office. So we can speculate that the probable time window of this photo is July 1 to August 20, 1913.
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Cliff House & City Hall Coffee Advertisement Card
(reverse)
Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
"Beach at San
Francisco, Sheehan's Cafe in foreground, Cliff House & Seal Rocks in distance"
(WNPCHP WNP136.05)
Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
.jpg)
1915
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Taken by John Courtwright in 1920
Courtesy of daughter, Mary Courtwright Collins
John Freeman notes: The crowd sitting on those curved
things with the great billboards in the background, is
one of a kind. The curved piece are the concrete forms, used when the sea-wall
was poured. They are
made of wood, covered with 1X8 boards. That was the time period they were
building of the sea-wall.
Weidner Photo, postmarked July 1921 (rev)
(WNPCHP WNP136.06)
Postcard showing beach wall construction, postmarked 1923
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell
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The construction work is the resumption of construction of the seawall and esplanade, which was built in two stages. The first stage was completed in November 1916 when the wall extended up to a point between Balboa and Cabrillo. Work ceased for several years, then resumed in 1921 on the second stretch, which extended all the way to the foot of Lincoln Ave. - John Martini |
Construction of the Ocean Beach Esplanade and seawall, late 1921 or early
1922. Excavation and sand moving was
part of the foundation work (John Martini, 2/20/2024)
Image courtesy of Frank Mitchell
From Cliff House, 6-21-23
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
Summer 1932
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
Courtesy of
Glenn D Koch Collection
"THE WHITE CAP", OLIVERS ROOT BEER, ICE CREAM & SOFT DRINKS"
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell
 Courtesy of Frank Mitchell |
 Courtesy of Frank Mitchell |
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John Freeman notes (4-25-2009): This is most likely one of the "for hire" touring cars, not a private vehicle. The driver is not involved in the picture taking and stares ahead, not at the camera. The 3 slats running from the fenders, above the running board on the drivers side is the strongest indication of a "for hire" car, since passengers would enter or exit at the curb and the left side of the car could be used for luggage or storing blankets/lap robes (since there was no trunk on these old open touring cars. The location is obvious. |
Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
1914 F Head Harley-Davidson model 10F, Ocean Beach, San Francisco
Billboard: "BENSON'S POOL ROOM and ART GALLERY"
(reverse)
Image courtesy of Chuck Banneck
Motorcycle identification courtesy of the forum members,
harley-davidsonforums.com
Billboard: "BENSON'S POOL ROOM and ART GALLERY"
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell
Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
The San Francisco Examiner - Feb 9 1891
Treasure hunt
The San Francisco Call - Aug 2 1896
ANY NICE DAY AT THE BEACH
San Francisco Chronicle, September 3 1911
Reverse: "Coast boulevard from Cliff House San Francisco, July 1941"
.jpg){kind=link}
Panorama, taken Oct 2007
Courtesy of
Wikipedia Ocean Beach page