Snapshots of the Past

National Guard Armory, Union Square, Post Street, San Francisco – Antique Photo Print

National Guard Armory, Union Square, Post Street, San Francisco, [published 1866] — historic photograph
National Guard Armory, Union Square, Post Street, San Francisco, [published 1866]. Historic photograph from the San Francisco collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare historic photograph captures National Guard Armory, Union Square, Post Street, San Francisco in remarkable detail. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

National Guard Armory, Union Square, Post Street, San Francisco

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

Shown here is the armory of the National Guard on Post Street beside Union Square, recorded as number 236 in a series called *Gems of California Scenery*. The Library of Congress holds only one half of the stereographic pair, so the image lacks the second view that a viewer would have fused in a stereoscope to see depth. Union Square took its name during the Civil War, when San Francisco residents gathered there for pro-Union rallies, and militia units drilled and kept their equipment in buildings nearby. Public buildings like this armory were a common subject for 1860s photographers marketing city views to residents and travelers. The caption data came from an old card and has not been verified.

Created / published[published 1866]
Medium1 photographic print : half stereograph, albumen.
GenreStereographs 1860-1870.Albumen prints 1860-1870.
SubjectsThe Library holds only one photo from a pair published as a stereographic view. Gems of California scenery, no. 236. LOT subdivision subject: San Francisco--Public Buildings (Schools, Hospitals, etc.). This record contains unverified old data from caption card.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,462 px · prints to 5 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-115966

More from the San Francisco collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

Jewish Synagogue, Sutter Street, from Union Square, San FranciscoJewish Synagogue, Sutter Street, from Union Square, San FranciscoPost Office and Custom House, Battery Street, San FranciscoPost Office and Custom House, Battery Street, San FranciscoSan Francisco Earthquake, April 18, 1906: Post Office [tent] in Hamilton Square refugee campSan Francisco Earthquake, April 18, 1906: Post Office [tent] in Hamilton Square Third Street, from Market Street, San FranciscoThird Street, from Market Street, San FranciscoJewish Synagogue, Congregation Emanu-El, Sutter Street, San FranciscoJewish Synagogue, Congregation Emanu-El, Sutter Street, San FranciscoSecond Street, from Market, San FranciscoSecond Street, from Market, San Francisco