RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: alan w jones on Saturday 20 April 19 14:25 BST (UK)
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Hello , I have been given this SanFrancisco postcard view and wondered if someone could perhaps date it and tell me where the photo was taken and what view it shows please ?
Regards
Alan
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Hello , I was hoping for some suggestions .Could it possibly be Forest Hills and twin Peaks ?
Regards
Alan
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I concluded that it was a view from Twin Peaks but, since I am a total Easterner and have never been to San Francisco or even to California, I thought it best to leave to the west coast experts. Here are some similar views of the city:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01np1/
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Thanks , I will compare some of those views with the postcard . I am from further afield in England .My relative whose card this was built homes in Forest Hills in the 1920's and 1930's so I imagine this is an early view .
Regards
Alan
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There might be a San Francisco history group on Facebook or elsewhere. You could try there also. I was in San Francisco twice, but much later than that picture.
Edit: well obviously I guess, if it was in the 1930's, but also the lay of the land and the homes don't look familiar at all.
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Maybe you can get some help here; there's a contact address.
http://www.sfgenealogy.org/sf/
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Thanks , they don't sound like they would be of help . Looking at all those Twin Peaks views I don't think mine if it is TwinPeaks area was taken at the same angle .
Regards
Alan
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It could well be Twin Peaks. You could try lining it up on Google Earth.
Martin
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Hello ,I had a look on Google Earth at Twin Peaks but nothing really stands out that it is the same as the postcard . I might try a scan at 1200 and see if I can pick out any landmarks .
Regards
Alan
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Does this look like the "hill" in the center?
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1536&bih=745&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=c6K_XLzsH9CKtQW6y6DoBA&q=twin+peaks+san+francisco+1930&oq=twin+peaks+san+francisco+1930&gs_l=img.3...11663.14655..15054...0.0..0.89.410.5......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0.zd17iCDzDh4#imgrc=RPk2SwihcDELIM:
https://tinyurl.com/y2pyohsg
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Hello , thank you for that link which I think one of the images proved successful as a comparison to my postcard , hopefully imaged attached which shows what looks like a factory or hospital or prison ? with a chimney attached on left of new image , you can see on my postcard this building to the right of the peak .I guess the photo was taken from the largest peak and showing the smaller one ? It would be great if someone recognized their home in the foreground of the postcard .
Regards
Alan
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Hello , I would be interested to know what that building with chimney was and when built and demolished.I can't see it on modern views today .
Regards
Alan
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In reply to your original question of where the photo was taken, it looks like it may have been taken from Tank Hill looking toward the city. If you zoom in on the brown hill, you will notice the same scar on the face of the hill.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7593948,-122.4486059,69a,35y,57.34h,75.7t/data=!3m1!1e3
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I think the area was a quarry and the "factory" a brick making facility:
http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Gray_Brothers_Quarry_at_Corona_Heights
Today, The Randall Museum is located on the right side of the hill, but above the area where the brick factory stood. Other than the museum, the area appears to be mostly residential.
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Thank you so much , it was "bugging me " and I was looking in the wrong place .If you come across the date it was demolished I would appreciate it as it will give some clue to the date of my postcard .
Thanks again
Alan
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It looks like the Gray Brothers went out of business in about 1915ish, and none too soon.
http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Gray_Brothers_Quarry_at_Corona_Heights
http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Gray_Brothers_Noe_Valley_Quarry
http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Saving_Telegraph_Hill_1890-1918
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You're more than welcome. It was also bugging me that I couldn't find the two hills. I finally discovered the horizon viewing on google maps and was able to find it that way. You might try googling the Gray Brothers Quarry to search for when it was torn down. But as Erato stated, if it was in the 50s, it won't help to date your postcard.
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Thank you both, another bit of fascinating SF history , glad its no longer there , it would be a blot on the landscape .I was wondering if the houses on the foreground of postcard if they were on Twin Peaks Blvd ? If I can pinpoint the road it might be fun seeing how many survive .
Regards Alan
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Try looking through these photos taken from Corona Heights. Maybe you can pinpoint a date from it.
http://opensfhistory.org/NeighborhoodPhotos/Corona_Heights
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Great selection of photos , thank you , Grays Brothers Quarry looks a bit worse for wear in 1912 .
Regards
Alan
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Thank you Liza , much appreciated .
Regards
Alan
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Sorry for the fuzziness, I tried to clear it up, but still couldn't get the street names to clear up.