This 1895 map, titled 'Guide map of the city & county of San Francisco', provides an exceptionally detailed overview of the city at the turn of the 20th century. Published anonymously, the map captures a period of rapid growth and transformation for San Francisco, making it a valuable historical document.
The map encompasses the entire city and county of San Francisco, extending from the northern tip of the peninsula down to Lake Merced in the southwest and Hunters Point in the southeast. It meticulously depicts the urban fabric of the city, including built-up areas, ranchos, block numbers, streets, roads, drainage, wards, railroads, parks, and more. This level of detail makes the map an invaluable resource for historians, urban planners, and anyone interested in the development of San Francisco.
One of the most striking features of the map is its extensive coverage of San Francisco's neighborhoods. From the bustling South of Market district to the charming residential areas of Pacific Heights and Cow Hollow, each neighborhood is clearly delineated and labeled. This attention to detail allows viewers to explore the city's diverse character and gain a deeper understanding of its rich history.
In addition to its comprehensive depiction of San Francisco's neighborhoods, the map also highlights several significant landmarks and attractions. Both Golden Gate Park, and the Golden Gate channel are labelled, but the bridge had not yet been built.
Furthermore, the map provides valuable insights into the historical events that shaped San Francisco. The Barbary Coast, a notorious area known for its saloons and gambling dens, is clearly marked, offering a glimpse into the city's wild and untamed past. The map also documents the devastating impact of the 1906 earthquake and fire, which destroyed much of the city but ultimately led to its remarkable reconstruction.
This is an old map, and not every modern place is shown, or they may be on the map with a different name. If this was a modern map, covering the same area, the following things would be visible on the map:
Neighbourhoods - South of Market - Mission District - Potrero Hill - Dogpatch - South Beach - Rincon Hill - Financial District - North Beach - Chinatown - Russian Hill - Nob Hill - Telegraph Hill - Polk Gulch - Van Ness - Japantown - Pacific Heights - Cow Hollow - Marina District - Presidio Heights - Sea Cliff - Richmond District - Sunset District - Parkside - Ingleside - Excelsior - Visitacion Valley - Bernal Heights - Glen Park - Noe Valley - Castro - Haight-Ashbury - Cole Valley - Twin Peaks - West of Twin Peaks
Major Streets & Roads - Market Street - Mission Street - Valencia Street - Guerrero Street - 16th Street - 14th Street - Castro Street - Haight Street - Divisadero Street - Geary Boulevard - Union Street - Lombard Street - Van Ness Avenue - Polk Street - Larkin Street - Hyde Street - Powell Street - Stockton Street - Grant Avenue - Kearny Street - Montgomery Street - Sansome Street - Battery Street - Embarcadero - The Presidio
Major Parks - Golden Gate Park - Presidio of San Francisco - Buena Vista Park - Alamo Square - Washington Square - Union Square - Portsmouth Square - Yerba Buena Gardens - Mission Dolores Park - Bernal Heights Park - Glen Canyon Park - McLaren Park - Candlestick Park
Historical Events - Gold Rush (1848-1855) - Barbary Coast (1850s-1870s) - Civil War (1861-1865) - Transcontinental Railroad (1869) - Great Earthquake and Fire (1906) - Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) - World War I (1917-1918) - Prohibition (1920-1933) - Great Depression (1929-1939) - World War II (1941-1945)
Labelled Features - Baker Beach - Bay Bridge - Bernal Heights Park - Buena Vista Park - California Academy of Sciences - Candlestick Park - Chinatown - Coit Tower - Cole Valley - Cow Hollow - De Young Museum - Dogpatch - Dolores Park - Embarcadero - Excelsior - Financial District - Fisherman's Wharf - Fort Mason - Glen Canyon Park - Golden Gate Park - Grant Avenue - Haight-Ashbury - Hunters Point - Ingleside - Japantown - Japanese Tea Garden - Lake Merced - Lombard Street - Marina District - Mission District - Mission Dolores Basilica - Mission Dolores Park - Montgomery Street - North Beach - Noe Valley - Pacific Heights - Palace of Fine Arts - Parkside - Pier 39 - Polk Gulch - Potrero Hill - Presidio Heights - Presidio of San Francisco - Richmond District - Rincon Hill - Russian Hill - Sansome Street - Sea Cliff - South Beach - South of Market - Stockton Street - Sunset District - Telegraph Hill - Twin Peaks - Union Square - Van Ness Avenue - Visitacion Valley - West of Twin Peaks - Yerba Buena Gardens
Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.
This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 90in (230cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.
If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.
Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.
This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.
This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.