Get ready to spend the next few minutes immersed in blissfully satisfying distraction. There’s a new website called OldSF that combines interactive maps with geolocated historical photographs to create an easy-to-navigate history tour of San Francisco. Co-creator Dan Vanderkam explains:
Several years ago, I searched for my cross-streets on the Library’s San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection […]. The image was mislabeled — the intersection in the foreground is actually Waller and Fillmore, not Waller and Webster. Which meant that this photo from 1945 was taken from my roof!
I put together a now-and-then shot, but it always bothered me that the mislabeling of the image was so crucial to my finding it. This led to the idea of putting the images on a map.
And now, years later, we have that map!
It’s awesome. It’s geeky. It’s deep. And it’s got Bernal Heights covered. Kiss your productivity goodbye.
Bernalwood 
OMG – These foots are just so awesome. LOVE these. Thanks for posting!
I meant to say “fotos” – not “foots” in the Interactive Map comments. I sometimes forget to check autocorrect.
This is amazing. Beyond Maptcha (which I try to work on whenever I have the chance), I’d love to know what non-skilled types like me can do to help these historical maps efforts.
This is so cool! But look at the top of Bernal Hill (http://www.oldsf.org/#ll:37.743011|-122.414861,m:37.74216|-122.41438|17). That can’t really be there, can it? Is that a misplaced photo of Holly Park?
Oh, that link doesn’t work. Just zoom in to the top of the hill.
Yes, it is misplaced. That’s a photo of Precita Park, which used to be called “Bernal Park” Not finding my source, but if I recall the name change didn’t become official until the 1970s.
Ah ha. Precita makes sense.
I found myself saying “Wow” repeatedly. Thank you for making such an wonderful map. Can’t wait to show my 9y.o. son who loves Bernal history.
Love this! Maps are really becoming a new interface to organize large amounts of information. Reminds me of a demo I saw last week for Loku.com (you can try my beta code, but it may be expired: QX4S2F).