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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#10 Passing cable cars offer a view of the destruction of California Street. Old St. Marys Cathedral has escaped destruction.
This striking then-and-now style image looks along California Street as passing cable cars frame a scene of widespread destruction, with rubble and damaged building facades stretching into the distance. The streetcar tracks lead the eye through the chaos, emphasizing how daily transportation continued to move through a city in crisis.
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#26 Market St at Powell.
This “Then & Now” image captures Market St at Powell with a striking blend of past and present layered into a single view. The modern street scene—complete with pedestrians, storefront signage, and street fixtures—sits alongside a faded historical photograph that shows the same corridor in a far rougher moment, emphasizing how dramatically the area has…
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#42 7th and Mission, where streetcars have recently been put back into service on Mission St and the main post office continues cleanup work.
This then-and-now view captures 7th and Mission, looking past the grand stone façade of the main post office as everyday city life moves through the intersection. Pedestrians step off the curb under modern signals and street banners, while the architecture anchors the scene with its heavy masonry, arched windows, and ornate entry details.
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#58 A Muni bus heads for a giant sinkhole on Van Ness below Vallejo while workers clear up debris from the damaged St. Brigid Church.
This “Then & Now” historical photo mashup captures a dramatic moment on Van Ness Avenue below Vallejo Street in San Francisco, where a Muni bus appears to be heading toward a giant sinkhole torn open in the roadway. The jagged break in the pavement dominates the foreground, with debris and fractured asphalt creating a stark…
