A rarity of San Francisco — unrecorded 1888 precinct map of the Marina and Pacific Heights with mysterious East Van Ness.
41st Assembly District Showing its Election Precincts, City and County of San Francisco
Out of stock
Description
We consulted many colleagues and San Francisco map experts and none have seen this map before, nor do we find record of any institutional holdings. It delineates San Francisco’s 41st Assembly District and its election precincts and extends east-west from Hyde St. to Lake & 8th Ave., and south-north from California St. to the Bay. This includes Laurel Heights, Pacific Heights, the Marina District, and parts of Russian and Nob Hill. The title box is placed in the Presidio.
The map includes a feature we have yet to see on any other antique map of San Francisco: East Van Ness Ave., running from Union & Polk to Lombard & Van Ness. East Van Ness appears in city directories from 1885 through 1894. It was surely a remnant of the famous Laguna Survey, said to have been conducted by Jasper O’Farrell in 1847/8. The survey ran at an odd angle to the expanding axis of the city grid. Eventually it was all but discarded, but this is a fascinating cartographic trace of the survey.
The original northern shoreline of the Bay is shown, showing how much of the Marina is built on landfill. Several spurious street names are shown in this area, including Tonguin and Lewis. These were planned but never actually created; Tonguin street is instead Marina Boulevard and Lewis is Marina Green Drive.
Cartographer(s):
Dakin Publishing Company, established around 1885, was a San Francisco-based printer with offices on 320 Sansome St. They specialized in producing fire insurance maps for various North American cities. These detailed maps were essential for assessing fire risks and determining insurance premiums.
While the Sanborn Map Company and the Charles E. Goad Company dominated the industry, Dakin carved out a niche, particularly in the western United States and Hawaii. Operating from the late 19th century until the early 1960s, Dakin contributed significantly to urban planning and development. Their maps provided detailed information on building structures, materials, and city layouts, aiding municipal planning and historical research.
Condition Description
Soiling throughout and loss in the margins. Professionally restored and backed with archival silk paper.
References
Thank you to Angus Macfarlane for his notes on East Van Ness.
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