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View this film.United States : American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, 1903.
NOTES
H36355 U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright: American Mutoscope and Biograph Company; 30Sep1903; H36355.
Duration: 1:35 at 15 fps.
Camera, H.J. Miles.
Photographed: September 23, 1903. Location: San Francisco, California.
This film is an afternoon panorama of weekend crowds at
the north end of Ocean Beach, the western shore of San Francisco near the
famed Cliff House. The film postdates the nearby Dutch Windmill (1902)
and predates the burning of this Cliff House (1907). Until the 1920s much
of western San Francisco was open sand dunes blown inland from Ocean
Beach, the five-mile-long untamed western shore of the city. As the
western edge of America's principal western city, the beach was an
unarticulated symbol of America's growth "from sea to shining sea." The
rocky bluff north of the beach, adjacent to Point Lobos, affords spectacular
views of the Pacific Ocean, Ocean Beach, Seal Rocks, and the Marin coast.
Ocean Beach began to attract visitors in the 1850s and the adjacent Seal
Rock House was built in 1858. The completion of the Point Lobos toll road
(now Geary Boulevard) in 1864 greatly improved access for weekend
crowds. A steam railway to the area was completed in 1883, connecting the
trains to the downtown cable car system. Ocean Beach Pavilion, a large
concert/dance hall, was built just south of Seal Rock House in 1884. A
roller coaster next to the pavilion was the predecessor of the Playland-at- The following is a scene-by-scene description of the
film, concentrating on background buildings: [37100] At left is the Lurline
Pier (1894-1967) which protected the intake pipe for the downtown
Lurline Baths (Larkin and Bush streets, 1894-1936). In the background at
right is the first Beach Chalet (1900, moved in 1925), a small resort
opposite the west end of Golden Gate Park (hidden behind the beach ridge
and not yet grown tall). The adjacent tower is part of the closer pier.
[37172] At left center is the Dutch Windmill (1902), sails turning, marking
the northwest corner of Golden Gate Park. Together with a later mill
(1906) at the southwest corner, it pumped fresh water from an artesian
well into the park lakes. The Dutch Windmill was restored in the 1980s,
but its sails now turn by electrical power. At right center is a road house
(no longer standing) called Cycler's Rest for the bicyclers who rode to the
beach. [37336] The tank, roof, and chimney are all part of the Olympic
Salt Water Company pumping station which pumped ocean water from the
Lurline Pier to the downtown baths. On the beach in the foreground is a
concession with a banner reading "Ice Cream 10 c." [37390] A group of
American flags fly over the roller coaster, hidden behind the beach ridge.
[37539] The Ocean Beach Pavilion (1894), evolved from a concert/dance
hall into Topsy's Roost, a restaurant and night club. It was then absorbed
into Playland to become Skateland, and later the Slotcar Raceway. [37604]
Seal Rock House (1858) seen here was the pioneer resort and hotel in the
area. It survived into the "teens." Note the dense beach crowd in the
foreground. [37650] The long shed adjacent to Seal Rock House was a
wind- Received: 9/30/03;
paper pos; copyright deposit Paper Print Collection.
SUBJECTS RELATED NAMES MEDIUM
CALL NUMBER
Beaches--
California--San Francisco.
Hotels, taverns, etc.--California--San
Francisco.
Children--
California--San Francisco.
San Francisco
(Calif.)
San Francisco Bay
(Calif.)
Shorts.
Actualities.
Miles, H.J.,
camera.
Ameri
can Mutoscope and Biograph Company.
Paper Print Collection (Library of Congress) DLC
Panoram
ic view of beach and Cliff House.
1 roll (108 ft) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. paper
pos.
LC 1762 (paper pos)