The calm before the storm – Perusing Downtown San Francisco before the “Black Friday” craziness hits

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“We’re going to need a bigger tree!”

MontCalifuse California at Montgomery in the 1950’s: I wonder if they still make Belfast Sparkling Water!

UnionSquarebloguse Union Square in 1948 from a Roger Sturtevant photo

StocktonMarketbloguse Market and Stockton Streets at Christmas time: Twin Peaks can be seen in the distance of both pictures.

Lanabloguse Lana Turner, seen here across from Union Square going into I Magnin’s in the 1960 film ‘Portrait in Black’, is plotting with Anthony Quinn to kill her husband at this point in the movie. She’d, probably, receive a longer jail term today for wearing that coat than she would for a murder conviction! Below, five Lana wannabes at the same spot today

.VictoryWindowuse A Victory Window during World War Two, and a Victory for the Macy’s PR Team window.

PeanutsBloguse “Peanuts” for Christmas: Poor Charlie Brown, he’s going to have another sad holiday! Looks like he’s going to need all of the SSRI’s Lucy can prescribe.

Mason1937bloguse 1937 limos in this John Gutmann photo at the Mark Hopkins Hotel:

The Pacific Union Club

PacificUnionforBloguse The exclusive men’s only Pacific Union Club on Nob Hill: I’ve been by there countless times, and I’ve never seen anyone going in or out. I wonder what goes on in there; probably, men in dinner jackets sipping brandy, and looking at Dow Jones reports. Heck, I could do that at home, if I had a dinner jacket and some stock!

Taking the Tim Tour

vannessredo 1942 – The first of Japanese citizens to be relocated from the West Coast after Pearl Harbor gather at the Civil Control Administration Building at 2020 Van Ness. Taking a peek inside this old garage, it’s a remarkable feeling thinking how historic this building once was!

kezarredo 1957 – Kezar Stadium, the 49ers and the Lions, roof top room only: Kezar was demolished in 1989, but the playing field still exists. No roof top spectators though, for that game or mugging or whatever was happening down on the field when I took this photo.

magninsredouse The old entrance to I Magnin & Company at Union Square in the 1950’s, once THE place to shop in San Francisco.

maidenredouse Maiden Lane in the early 1960’s: Hey, it’s Holly Golightly!

haightashburyredouse 1967 – Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead at Haight Ashbury during “The Summer of Love.”: They don’t even bother putting a Haight-Ashbury sign on this corner anymore, it would be gone five minutes after being put in place!