Birdseye View of San Francisco and Surrounding Country.

Description

A stunning panorama of with profound historical significance and a unique artistic perspective.

One of the most desirable 19th-century views of San Francisco on the market.

This extraordinary bird’s-eye-view provides a sweeping panorama of the entire Bay Area, looking east from a vantage point above the Pacific Ocean. The view was created by George Henry Goddard, a renowned artist, surveyor, and cartographer based in San Francisco.

Goddard’s artistic vision was characterized by a special technique in which a balance of foreshortening and exaggeration was employed to provide unique perspective. The result is lifelike and engaging, lifting his portrayal above and beyond a simple urban vista. The cityscape of San Francisco takes center stage, showcasing its bustling harbor and expansion into the hilly heart of the peninsula. Unlike conventional bird’s-eye-views, Goddard’s technique not only allowed for an impressive scope but also made his perspective dynamic and engaging, distinguishing his work from that of his peers and competitors.

Post-Gold Rush San Francisco

San Francisco developed from the sleepy town of Yerba Buena to a cosmopolitan metropolis in just a few short years. In addition to the U.S. capture of this region during the Mexican-American War, the main reason for San Francisco’s boom was the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill and the ensuing Gold Rush of 1849. Urban growth was rapid, and by the 1870s, San Francisco boasted a population of almost a quarter million people. It is this bustling era of the thriving West Coast port that Goddard captures in his view. Scores of ships are waiting to be loaded or unloaded along San Francisco’s waterfront, just as many vessels are braving the strong currents of the Golden Gate.

The orthogonal layout of the city itself reveals not only the bustling nature of San Francisco but also speaks to its rapid and planned growth. Most prominent within this massive grid of streets is the diagonal thoroughfare of Market Street. Cutting more than three miles across the city and connecting the waterfront (Embarcadero) with the interior hills of the peninsula (i.e., modern Twin Peaks), this was one of San Francisco’s oldest and most important streets. It was laid out as early as 1847, within months of the U.S. annexation of Yerba Buena, and is delineated in the 1847 survey of emigré and civil engineer Jasper O’Farrell.

The downtown area is meticulously rendered so individual buildings can be identified amidst the bustling urban landscape. As one’s eye moves west, out of the densely developed area, iconic San Francisco landmarks such as the Presidio Military Reservation barracks and the nascent Golden Gate Park stand out clearly. Notably, the iconic Golden Gate Strait connecting the Bay to the Pacific Ocean graces the lower left corner, adding to the grandeur.

Beyond San Francisco

Goddard’s view captures much more than just a booming San Francisco: it is a vibrant testament to the evolution of the entire Bay Area in the 19th century. Across the Bay, we see Oakland, which during the 1870s grew to become the Bay Area node that connected San Francisco to the continental part of the country. Oakland was selected as the western terminus of the Pacific Union Railroad and has functioned as such since 1869. This role facilitated its growth as a commercial hub.

Goddard’s panoramic view also extends south, down to a rapidly evolving San Jose, which had been selected and incorporated as California’s first state capital in 1850. While the stretch between San Francisco and San Jose today is one of the most densely inhabited in the world, this whole region remained largely agrarian when Goddard composed his view. This, too, would soon change, starting with the foundation of Stanford University in 1885 and the subsequent establishment of new neighborhoods along the Santa Clara Valley (e.g., Palo Alto and Silicon Valley).

To the north, or on the left side of the view, we note the southern tip of Marin County, including emergent towns like Sausalito and San Rafael. Angel Island figures prominently at the end of Richardson Bay. A railroad line runs from Sausalito north past today’s Strawberry Point and Blackie’s Pasture. Another railroad connects San Quentin and San Rafael. Further inland, Vallejo and the large San Pablo Bay complete the panorama, and in the distance, the vista is framed by the majestic peaks of the Sierra Nevadas.

Census

Goddard’s view of San Francisco and the Bay Area was hugely popular and consequently published in at least seven distinct states between 1868 and 1880:

1. Dated 1868: Published by Snow & Roos, 21 Kearney St. S.F.

2. Dated 1868: Published by Snow & Roos, San Francisco

3. Dated 1868: Published by Snow & May, San Francisco

4. Dated 1868: Snow & Roos (copyright)

5. Dated 1875: Published by Snow & May, 21 Kearney St. S.F.

6. Dated 1876: Snow & Roos (San Francisco)

7. Dated 1880: Snow & May, S.F. Republished in 1880 by Snow & Co. 20 Post Street, S.F.

Neatline’s example of Goddard’s view constitutes the 7th and final state, published by Snow & May in 1880.

The rarity of this view is underscored by its limited presence in institutional collections in America. The OCLC records no examples of the 1st to 5th state in institutional collections, and only four examples of the sixth state, published in 1876 (no. 5447325): Library of Congress, University of California Davis, Pennsylvania State University, and the DeGoyler Library at Southern Methodist Uni in Texas.