To Start your virtual tour of the San Francisco panorama taken in 1851, click and drag your cursor across the image in the direction you wish to pan the scene. The tools at the lower left of the image frame allow for zooming.
In 1851, in the midst of the rapid growth brought on by the Gold Rush, an anonymous photographer captured San Francisco in its entirety. The original seven panel daguerreotype panorama, taken from First and Howard Streets, is one of the earliest and most historic photographic recordings of the city.
Historic photography courtesy of the California Historical Society ©2000. Composite panoramic imagery presented by Thomas Bachand, ©2000.