Album of photographs of commercial and residential properties in Berkeley, California.

Description

A charming set of thirty-nine photographs of Berkeley, California, circa 1930. The photographs focus on commercial and residential properties along several streets, especially major shopping areas along College and Telegraph Avenues. The businesses pictured range from candy shops, bakeries, grocers, laundromats, barbers, and bookshops to gas stations and auto shops. The number and arrangement of the photographs are:

• College Ave. – 16 photographs
• Telegraph Ave. – 14 photographs
• University Ave. – 3 photographs
• Oxford St. – 1 photograph
• Adeline St. – 2 photographs
• Dwight Way – 1 photograph
• Walnut St. – 1 photograph
• Bancroft Way – 1 photograph

The city had grown rapidly in the preceding years as refugees from across the Bay arrived in the wake of the San Francisco fire and earthquake of 1906. Though buildings and storefronts are the main object of these photographs, evidence of the city’s growth can be witnessed, such as with the streetcar tracks belonging to the Key System visible on College Ave.