History of the City Hall and Civic Center by T.B. McGinnis
Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Thomas B. McGinnis
- Extent:
- 119 photographic prints, various sizes; clippings; text of municipal report; compiled in album, 33 x 27 cm. 170 digital objects
- Language:
- Collection materials are in English
Background
- Scope and content:
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The History of the City Hall and Civic Center photo album contains 119 photographic prints as well as various municipal reports and records, all dated from 1912-1918, which document the construction and early use of San Francisco's City Hall, Exposition Auditorium, and the greater Civic Center area. The album was compiled by Thomas B. McGinnis, Assistant Clerk, San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Superintendent of City Hall. McGinnis also wrote the text of the municipal report included in the album and may have been the principal photographer.
The construction of the new City Hall and Civic Center was necessitated by the earthquake and fire of 1906 which destroyed the previous City Hall. The photographs picture the buildings' development from the excavation of the sites beginning in 1913 to their completion and occupation by city officials in 1916. Several photographs document the gradual construction of both the steel framework and the stone exterior. Also pictured are interior views of City Hall and the Exposition Auditorium; ground breaking and cornerstone ceremonies; views of the Civic Center Plaza and the San Francisco Public Library; several photographic reproductions of architectural plans and notes; the San Francisco City Treasury; and a group portrait of Boy Scouts. Individuals pictured include architects John Bakewell, Jr., and Arthur Brown, Jr.; sculptor Grenier; San Francisco Mayor James Rolph, Jr.; San Francisco City Supervisors George Gallagher and Paul Bancroft; and San Francisco City Attorney Percy V. Long.
Non-photographic material includes the text of the 1915-1916 San Francisco Municipal Report "City Hall and Civic Center History," clippings of resolutions and ordinances relating to the City Hall and the Civic Center, many of which are dated as late as 1919; manuscript notes regarding additional resolutions; and two 1916 letters from architects Bakewell and Brown to the San Francisco Bureau of Architecture describing the significance of Grenier's sculptural contribution to City Hall.
The only identified photographer is John Channing.
- Acquisition information:
- The History of the City Hall and Civic Center album was purchased in 1995.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
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University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481