Ocean Beach

General

Pavilion

Seal Rock House

Windmills

Club Swim

Sand Sculptures

"Long Branch House -- from the Cliff House, San Francisco, Cal."

Watkins' New Series #3619
Courtesy of Bob Schlesinger

Seal Rock House (left structure) and Ocean Beach Pavilion (large central structure)

Seal Rock House (L) and Ocean Beach Pavilion (R) in background

"Esplanade and Beach"
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

"The Cliff Road and Ocean Beach."
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

"No. 261. CLIFF HOUSE BEACH, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF."

"WE HAVE LOTS OF FUNN AT THE CLIFF HOUSE SF CAL 236"

"Cliff Road and Bathing Beach from Cliff House, W.C.Billington, Photographer"

Mysterious object
(Now identified as a whalebone)

Stereoview taken between 1868 and 1894, based on Cliff House in background
Note object in the foreground, seen below in greater detail

And in this photo...

"View of Pavilion and Sutro Heights, Taber Photo, San Francisco"
John Hall Collection
The mystery object also appears in this photo, circled. See below for detail.

Thanks to Gregory Reeder the mystery object was tentatively identified as belonging to a whale skeleton, based on a comparison to this photo...

Photo by Milo Wallach /Courtesy Paula Wood
source

Subsequently Dr Sean Todd, College of the Atlantic, confirmed the theory (1/3/2023)...

"I am reasonably comfortable saying it’s a whale skull from a species of baleen whale. Narrowing it down any further would require some specific measurements of certain proportions, as well as a knowledge of what species were around at that time - but from the linear nature of the rostrum it appears to be a rorqual, ie from the family Balaenopteridae. On that coast, the possibilities include humpback, blue, sei and fin whales as the main contenders. It seems too large to be a minke.

It’s difficult to tell from the quality of the photograph, but it appears to be quite large. The rostrum, which is the part that is sticking out, diagonally up and to the right, is particularly impressive. This would lead me towards thinking it might be a large whale, but it would be impossible to confirm given the quality the photograph. The perceived width of the cranium and associated processes does not seem massive enough to be a blue, so maybe a fin or sei?"

"L. DOWE, Photo"

"Seal Rock House. - Ocean Beach."
(reverse)

"My great grandfather (Prof. W. E. James) worked for I. W. Taber as a photographer from about 1881 to 1886 .. passed down through the family were views that matched some found onthe website. However I’ve never seen a published view as the one that I have attached (i.e., Ocean Beach FROM the cliff house (Taber wagon in foreground - Taber logo just below the word Property).

My ggf Prof. W. E. James (as most commonly listed .. the professor probably self-imposed but an apt description) (William E. James) worked for Taber between 1881 and early 1886. He brought with him quite a bit of experience in stereo photography. I think (but can’t quite confirm just yet) that he took many views for Taber including San Francisco harbor (& boats) and some places in Santa Barbara and Southern California (San Diego). Rarely did the big firms (Houseworth, Taber, Anthony of New York) actually give credit to the photographer so it is difficult to prove."

Click here for more information on Prof W. E. James.

Randolph James, 2/27/2015
Courtesy of the Randolph James Collection

Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

"Taken on Cliff House beach on May 16 - 1910" (rev)

"CH-12 S.E. FROM CLIFF HOUSE 1880"
From source: "Original Negative From Glass Plate 8x10, Circa 1880, From the Behrman Collection"
"M.B." are the initials for Martin Behrman

"SUTRO HEIGHTS, CLIFF ROAD AND BATHING BEACH."
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

Ocean Beach, c 1911
Photographer: H. C. Tibbitts
John Hall Collection

Ocean Beach, lifeboat, c 1911
Photographer: H. C. Tibbitts
John Hall Collection

Contributed by Peter Evans

Courtesy of Frank Mitchell

Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

"229. The Coast, South from Cliff House"

"PLAYLAND AT THE BEACH, SAN FRANCISCO" , 1938
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

Ocean Beach, Jul 1 to Aug 20, 1913 (WNPCHP WNP136.04)

The photo date is derived from the following observations:

John Martini (12/29/2014): Summer 1913. There are a pair of “B” line streetcars visible on Cabrillo Street. The line was extended to Ocean Beach on June 25, 1913. Also, there’s no sign yet of the infamous Ostrich Farm that opened at Cabrillo and Great Highway in August 1913.

Frank Sternad (12/29/2014): No Looff Carousel, so pre-1914.

John Freeman (12/29/2014): The Golden Gate Ostrich Farm wouldn’t secure permission from the health department to make the move down from 47th & Balboa to open at Great Highway and Cabrillo until August 18, 1913, but the fences were in place. GGOF would only paint them and put up signs, adding pens for the ostriches and a small sales office. So we can speculate that the probable time window of this photo is July 1 to August 20, 1913.

Sign: "LOWER PORCH CLIFF HOUSE TO VIEW THE SEALS, PABST BEER ON DRAUGHT ADMISSION FREE."
Scan from 4"x5" glass negative (here)

On July 4th, 1905 the road was being widened with the use of dynamite. Based on various clues (such as only the Dutch Windmill in background
and the soldiers' uniforms) this photo likely captured that event. Here is the SF Examiner article describing the prior day's activity...

San Francisco Examiner - 5 July 1905

Cliff House & City Hall Coffee Advertisement Card
(reverse)

Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

"Beach at San Francisco, Sheehan's Cafe in foreground, Cliff House & Seal Rocks in distance"
(WNPCHP WNP136.05)

Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

1915

"Near Golden Gate Park Aug 1915"

"Frisco Cal - Near Golden Gate Park- Aug 1915"
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

Glass Negative of Ocean Beach, March 1917

Photographed by H. C. Tibbitts
This negative was listed on ebay in January, 2013. I did not purchase it, nor do I have permission. Ebay doesn't allow contact.
If the owner comes forth and asks me either to remove it or for credit, I'll do so.

The below close-ups were also posted on ebay

Ocean Beach Pavilion

Lurline Salt Water Baths (building with smokestack)

The two towers in the right side of this mage belong to the Ocean Beach Wireless Transmitting Station.

More info:
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist/poulsen.html
http://outsidelands.org/cgi-bin/mboard/stories2/thread.cgi?45,0

Taken by John Courtwright in 1920
Courtesy of daughter, Mary Courtwright Collins

John Freeman notes: The crowd sitting on those curved things with the great billboards in the background, is
one of a kind. The curved piece are the concrete forms, used when the sea-wall was poured. They are
made of wood, covered with 1X8 boards. That was the time period they were building of the sea-wall.

Weidner Photo, postmarked July 1921 (rev)
(WNPCHP WNP136.06)

Postcard showing beach wall construction, postmarked 1923
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell

(WNPCHP WNP136.07)
The photo is from May 1922. The Figure-8 Coaster was demolished at the end of April 1922. The Big Dipper [being built] was complete by July 1922. I have a photo that shows the first section complete & it matches the elevated arch of the Big Dipper in this photo without the rest of the coaster evident. - James Smith, http://www.historysmith.com

The construction work is the resumption of construction of the seawall and esplanade, which was built in two stages. The first stage was completed in November 1916 when the wall extended up to a point between Balboa and Cabrillo. Work ceased for several years, then resumed in 1921 on the second stretch, which extended all the way to the foot of Lincoln Ave. - John Martini

Construction of the Ocean Beach Esplanade and seawall, late 1921 or early 1922. Excavation and sand moving was
part of the foundation work (John Martini, 2/20/2024)
Image courtesy of Frank Mitchell

From Cliff House, 6-21-23
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

Summer 1932
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

Courtesy of Glenn D Koch Collection

"THE WHITE CAP", OLIVERS ROOT BEER, ICE CREAM & SOFT DRINKS"
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell

Courtesy of Frank Mitchell

Courtesy of Frank Mitchell
Courtesy of Frank Mitchell

Image courtesy of Judy Cash Collection

John Freeman notes (4-25-2009): This is most likely one of the "for hire" touring cars, not a private vehicle. The driver is not involved in the picture taking and stares ahead, not at the camera. The 3 slats running from the fenders, above the running board on the drivers side is the strongest indication of a "for hire" car, since passengers would enter or exit at the curb and the left side of the car could be used for luggage or storing blankets/lap robes (since there was no trunk on these old open touring cars. The location is obvious.

Image courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke

1914 F Head Harley-Davidson model 10F, Ocean Beach, San Francisco
Billboard: "BENSON'S POOL ROOM and ART GALLERY"
(reverse)
Image courtesy of Chuck Banneck
Motorcycle identification courtesy of the forum members, harley-davidsonforums.com