Cliff House Project
A Program of Western Neighborhoods Project

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Seal Rocks

 


"Seal Rocks At Cliff House"
Postmarked  July 22 1911

 


Photographer: Charles BierStadt
(reverse)

 


 

 


Early view from Cliff House


 


Glass Negative c1915  (ebay image)

 


"Seal Rocks by Moonlight, from Cliff House, San Francisco"
Copyright 1900, C. H. Graves

 


SEAL ROCKS - SAN FRANCISCO
Piggott '38

 


"B 3663  Seal Rocks from Sutro Heights, S.F., Cal.  Taber Photo"
Source: OAC (link)

 


A.J. McDonald

 


Seal Rocks
"Complements of Bixby's Drug Store"

 


Man atop Seal Rocks, 1890c, CH-057 (GGNRA Slide Collection)


 


Seal Rock Bridge
(never completed)
 


Daily Alta California - 26 Jan 1866
 


Daily Alta California - 27 Mar 1866
 


Daily Alta California - 19 Apr 1866
 


Daily Alta California - 1 Oct 1866
 

This is the last mention of the bridge, so presumably it
was never completed.
 


 


Seal Rocks...or is it?

The below image was widely reproduced back in the day, attributed as showing Seal Rocks, but it was apparently false advertising.
To learn more click here.


"B2191 The Seal Rocks near Cliff House, San Francisco  Taber"
 

 


 

 


San Francisco Chronicle - Jun 8 1886

 


San Francisco Chronicle - Feb 9 1887

 

 

 

Ben Butler


Ben Butler was a celebrity of Seal Rocks during the 1860's.  He was name after Major General Benjamin Butler
of Civil War fame.  He was given this name by Horace Greely of "Go West!" fame.

 


San Francisco Chronicle, July 7 1895

 


The San Francisco call - July 07, 1895

 


Ben Butler's obituary, San Francisco Call, July 7 1895
Ben's obituary even made the NY Times!  Click here

 


Ben Butler, presumably deceased and on the way to the taxidermist

 


Ben Butler on display, 1895


 


 


"1204 Pacific Ocean---from the Cliff House, San Francisco, Cal."
Continent Stereoscopic Co., Publishers., N. 60 Nassau Street, New York
(click for reverse) (click for estimated camera position)

 


The Steamer Yale
Image courtesy of Judy Cash Collection

 


"Album of Sutro Heights"
(pre-1896)
Shows individual names for Seal Rock Islands:  Arch Rock, Hermit Rock, Repose Rock, Cone Rock

 

 


The San Francisco Call - Sep 28 1896
Charles Cavill swims around Seal Rock

 


San Francisco Chronicle - May 19, 1887

 


The San Francisco Examiner - Oct 16 1898

 


Humorous Tobacco Ad
San Bernardino - 12 Nov 1898

 


The San Francisco Call - Jun 22 1899
Cliff House seals peppered with bullets

 


The San Francisco Call - Sept 12, 1903

 


The Los Angeles Times - Jun 12 1904
"Foo Foo birds" visit
(Further reference here)

 


The San Francisco Examiner - Dec 11 1905


San Francisco Chronicle - Dec 11 1905

 

 

 


The San Francisco Examiner - Nov 26 1906
Strange story of seals fighting with gulls

 


The Evening Mail - Aug 13 1907

 

 


Seal Rocks, taken by John Freeman, 4//14/2014
"Taken from the north end of the bath ruins, on the flat area that was the terminal side of the old Sky Train.  The usual angle to photograph Seal Rocks doesn't
show the hole, but from the far side of Sutro Baths it shows up."

 


Seal Rocks at very low tide, taken Jan 3, 2018
Image courtesy of Don Holmes