Celebrating 50 Years Spotlight: SF History Center Maps

Maps of San Francisco form a substantial part of the San Francisco History Center collections. Formerly the town of Yerba Buena, the city blossomed from a single residence built by William Richardson in 1835 to a population of over 825,000 sharing 49 square miles. The Center’s map collection is a rich source for historians, artists, and others curious about the development of San Francisco.

While street maps predominate, the collection includes topographic maps, fanciful picture maps, and property maps. Sanborn fire insurance maps and various “block books” complement property maps formerly held by the City Recorder. Views of the entire city, as well as distinct neighborhoods and aspects, can be found here. Maps are stored in various ways: rolled, folded, flattened and encapsulated, or framed. Some are still bound into the books in which they were originally published.

The Commercial, Pictorial and Tourist Map of San Francisco, created by lithographer August Chevalier and printed by Galloway Litho in 1904, is one of the special maps which are located in the San Francisco History Center. The map combines a fairly accurate representation of streets, but highlights significant landmark buildings of the time, as well; in 1904, high-rises were new to the landscape.

Chevalier followed up this map with the Chevalier Illustrated Map Guide of San Francisco, “The Exposition City” in 1913, in preparation for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, to be held two years later.

San Francisco History Center librarians can help patrons locate these and other materials, including specific maps, whether searching by date, subject or publisher. Many of the materials in the Center are rare or fragile and most are kept in closed stacks. Not all items are catalogued, so please ask for help if you are unable to find a specific item.