Guerrilla historian project turns San Francisco into interactive museum

SAN FRANCISCO - It's a new way to learn about the history of San Francisco, neighborhood by neighborhood.

Western Neighborhoods Project, a nonprofit that gives in-person history tours before the pandemic, has created a new program.

It gives citizens an opportunity to become what it describes as "guerilla historians."

Organizers said anyone in San Francisco can become one.

The idea is for people to post historic photos of their neighborhoods.

Printed copies of historic photos of the city, many dating back 100 years or more, are a window to the past.

They are being attached to telephone poles across the city depicting what a  particular street or neighborhood looked like back in time. 

"This is kind of a self-guided tour, a self-created tour," said David Gallagher, who co-founded Western Neighborhoods Project.  The nonprofit gives walking tours in San Francisco.

During the pandemic, it pivoted to teaching history in a new way

Volunteers described as guerilla historians post copies of photos in their neighborhoods for other residents to see. 

"I want to know more about the city I grew up in," said Joey Yee, a guerilla historian.

The native San Franciscan is learning and teaching others at the same time about his neighborhood -the Richmond.

"It has an interesting landscape," said Yee.

A piece of history captured in one photo dated 1908.  It shows a dairy farm on Clement and 21st Avenue.  Today, it's a residential area

Another photo shows the South of Market in 1903, there were milk delivery wagons on 3rd and Howard Streets. Now, the Moscone Convention Center is located at the site.

"It's not about the gold rush. It's not about the financial district or the giant buildings. It's about the people," said Gallagher.

Along the Great Highway near Judah in 1905, there was Carville, a bohemian village at Ocean Beach. Old streetcars were turned into homes.

In the Castro, just two homes on upper Market Street near Eagle in 1922.  Many more homes are now at the same location.

"It's the best way to understand what was once around you. The best way to understand the photograph is the exact intersection of where the photograph was taken," said Nicole Meldahl,

The nonprofit provides nearly 50,000 historical photos through OpenSFHistory.org. Anyone can download the pictures, print and post them close to the location shown in the photo.

"We just turned all of San Francisco into a mini-museum," said Meldahl.

Organizers said this is a fun and free way to learn about San Francisco.

With people sheltering in place, these neighborhood photo displays are an easy and educational way to do something different.