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The New City Hall, San Francisco, California, 1915

Owning Institution: UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

About this Collection

The New City Hall, San Francisco, California album contains 62 photographic prints taken in 1915 by John Channing. The album features the newly-constructed San Francisco City Hall, built to replace the previous structure which was destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906. Designed by architects John Bakewell, Jr. and Arthur Brown, Jr. (of Bakewell and Brown), and begun in 1913, the nearly complete City Hall as shown in the album was fully occupied by city officials in 1916. The album affords a comprehensive survey of both exterior and interior features of the building. Views include the west and east facades, several doorways, the dome, the rotunda, the grand staircase, officials' chambers, galleries, windows, and various sculptural and other architectural details. Also pictured in several views is the Civic Center Plaza, situated to the east of City Hall. One print (No. 10) includes what is likely a portion of the Exposition Auditorium, also then under construction as part of the greater Civic Center.
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