California

hunter

(38,866 posts) Mon Nov 21, 2022, 09:50 AM Nov 2022

San Francisco early 40's,50's in color [60fps,Remastered]

Most striking to anyone familiar with the modern city is the lack of automobile traffic. I'm old enough to remember what the city smelled like when air pollution from cars, trucks, and ships was unregulated. It was bad, even with fewer cars on the street. Not as bad as Los Angeles, however...

The lack of crash barriers on the freeways is a bit terrifying, especially on the uncompleted overpass.

The formality of the clothing people on the street are wearing is also striking. My grandma and her sister, who'd entirely abandoned San Francisco and the surrounding cow country for the glamour of Hollywood before World War II, always regarded San Francisco as a stuffy working class city even as it evolved into something else. They weren't interested in going back.

8 replies

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San Francisco early 40's,50's in color [60fps,Remastered] (Original Post) hunter Nov 2022 OP

Fascinating footage. sop Nov 2022 #1

Very cool. Loved that people were walking all over the streets. ratchiweenie Nov 2022 #2

Wasn't that Miles Archer outside the grocery on Sacramento? n/t Bobstandard Nov 2022 #3

Chicago Downtown looked a lot like this. raging moderate Nov 2022 #4

The house out in the avenues look brand new. They probably were. Auggie Nov 2022 #5

Thanks for sharing kimbutgar Nov 2022 #6

Never lived in SF, but my family moved to the area in '61, Mr.Bill Nov 2022 #7

thanks. This was my dad's world The Mouth Nov 2022 #8

sop

(11,102 posts)

1. Fascinating footage.

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Mon Nov 21, 2022, 10:11 AM

Nov 2022

ratchiweenie

(7,904 posts)

2. Very cool. Loved that people were walking all over the streets.

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Mon Nov 21, 2022, 10:28 AM

Nov 2022

Drivers were still using hand signals for turning. Most of the streets were very clean except for some of the side streets. Obvious that businesses cleaned in front of the stores and cleaned the gutters every day. Fun footage.

Bobstandard

(1,654 posts)

3. Wasn't that Miles Archer outside the grocery on Sacramento? n/t

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Mon Nov 21, 2022, 10:29 AM

Nov 2022

raging moderate

(4,497 posts)

4. Chicago Downtown looked a lot like this.

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Mon Nov 21, 2022, 10:33 AM

Nov 2022

Last edited Mon Nov 28, 2022, 07:52 AM - Edit history (2)

I was born in 1948, in Chicago, Illinois. Whenever we went downtown, my family always dressed up. And all the people we saw downtown were also dressed up. Even if you were poor, you would find something that somehow looked slightly more formal than usual. And almost all the grownups around me wore hats of some kind almost all the time. And, to go downtown, they would wear some kind of hat that looked pretty formal, if at all possible. How wonderful to see all the people, and the old neon signs, and the streetcars on tracks! Thank you!

Auggie

(31,775 posts)

5. The house out in the avenues look brand new. They probably were.

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Mon Nov 21, 2022, 11:51 AM

Nov 2022

Side-by-side footage comparing this old film with today would be fun

kimbutgar

(23,196 posts)

6. Thanks for sharing

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Mon Nov 21, 2022, 12:14 PM

Nov 2022

I’m Native San Franciscan and I recognized some of the areas but how the city had changed is unreal.

Watching these cars driving up California street with drivers only having standard transmissions and not rolling back! wow!

Mr.Bill

(24,764 posts)

7. Never lived in SF, but my family moved to the area in '61,

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Mon Nov 21, 2022, 06:27 PM

Nov 2022

so it all looked somewhat familiar to me. Thanks for posting this, I enjoyed it.

The Mouth

(3,281 posts)

8. thanks. This was my dad's world

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Wed Nov 23, 2022, 11:10 AM

Nov 2022

He was a P.I. in the City at that time. I'm a native. Makes me wish I could time travel.

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