Down these streets

“Down these mean streets a man must go.”

They’re not really mean streets, that’s just a quote from the author, Raymond Chandler, but you may see some mean looking people along the way. We’ll start at Bush and Van Ness in the 1920’s

3rd Street down toward Market Street during the rebuilding of San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake: Don’t look back, lady; look what happened to Lot’s wife!

From the Shorpy’s Collection, Gough Street at Lafayette Square: That fellow in the middle looks, kind of, mean!
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing! Just wondering why she’s not sitting in the middle.”

From the Cushman Collection, Market Street between 3rd and 4th. ‘Flesh and Lace’, that’s a grabber! I think there’s a terrible pun in there somewhere.

Vintage Fred Lyon, Kearny Street, up from Broadway in the 1940’s: No meanness here, just kids acting like adults ought to.

California Street down from Grant Avenue: Well, they all walked away from that one! In fact, they, probably, ran away! The Stauffer Chemical Company was located about where the stairs in the white building across California Street are today.

Fulton at Alamo Square in 1967 during the “Summer of Love”: No meanness, just peace and love, and, okay, maybe a few mind altering drugs.

A Cushman Collection photo at Haight and Masonic during the “Summer of Love” in 1967: That’s right, buddy, peace, love, and the finger! Well, at least the girl in my picture didn’t flip me off!

Another view of Haight and Masonic during the “Summer of Love”: This guy’s not mean, he’s just stupid! It must have been ‘A Lower Element of Love Child Day’.

Columbus and Broadway:  ‘Jake’s Cigar Store’; it gets right to the point. I’ll bet Jake was a tough looking guy!

Kids go down these streets too. Sometimes they walk……..

…….. and sometimes they slide!