Category: Then & Now
Compare history with the present in fascinating “Then and Now” photo pairs. See how cities, landmarks, and people changed over time.
These visual contrasts show the beauty of transformation and the persistence of heritage.
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#12 People walk up California St amid charred scraps of lumber
This “Then & Now” photo blends past and present on California St, showing people walking uphill through a landscape scattered with charred scraps of lumber and ash. In the historical portion, the street is stripped bare, with dark debris and damaged structures stretching into a hazy skyline.
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#28 A bicyclist rides towards the fallen Valencia St. Hotel and a huge sinkhole that has opened up in the street
This “Then & Now” photo blend captures a dramatic moment on Valencia Street, where a bicyclist rides toward the collapsed Valencia St. Hotel and a massive sinkhole torn open in the roadway. The historic black-and-white scene shows the street split apart, with broken pavement dropping into a deep void and debris scattered across the ground.
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#44 Union St up from Steiner St.
This Then & Now image looks up Union Street from Steiner Street, blending a historic black-and-white photograph with a modern color view of the same San Francisco block. The steep grade, tightly packed buildings, and layered streetscape create a vivid comparison of how a familiar neighborhood scene endures while the details shift over time.
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#60 Looking west on Market from New Montgomery St.
This “Then & Now” historical photo looks west on Market Street from New Montgomery Street, blending a vintage streetscape with the modern city in a single frame. The view pulls your eye down the corridor of tall buildings, where ornate early architecture and familiar street infrastructure meet today’s sidewalks and transit.
