The Ferry Building clock tower stands in front of a Bay Bridge suspension tower, seen over waterfront pier roofs, San Francisco, circa 1939.
1939 · San Francisco, California, United States
Still image · $49
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4K archival still image
A two-funnelled steamer lies off the piers while a larger ship sits out on the bay below the Bay Bridge, circa 1939 — San Francisco, California, 1939
$49 USD Full 4K image license
You’re licensing the 4K image3,840 × 2,160 pixels · JPEG
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- Catalog year
- 1939
- Location
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Image
- Still 2 · 1.77s into the source clip
- License
- Commercial and editorial
Royalty-free license. Choose your usage, territory and term at checkout.
One full-resolution still image is included. The source video is licensed separately.
Read the licensing guideAbout this image
Steamer off the San Francisco piers below the Bay Bridge, with the Ferry Building tower to the right, circa 1939.
The source is catalogued as 8mm home movie. This frame appears 1.77 seconds into the clip. Watch the source footage below to see the surrounding action.
Browsing preview376 × 256pixels · shown above
Licensed 4K image3840 × 2160pixels · JPEG download
About 86× as many pixels as the web preview. The master retains the original film’s grain, texture and condition.
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Other frames from this clip
A white plume rises from the steamer near the piers, with the Ferry Building tower and Bay Bridge beyond, circa 1939.
1939 · San Francisco, California, United States
Still image · $49
The shot ends holding on the Ferry Building clock tower against the Bay Bridge span over the hazy bay, circa 1939.
1939 · San Francisco, California, United States
Still image · $49
Source footage and archive context
San Francisco California-1939: Clock Tower and Suspension Bridge Over Piers and Ships on a Hazy Bay
Watch the movement and surrounding scene in the source clip, or license the video separately.
Source format: 8mm home movie.
Browse the collection: 1939 San Francisco California.
Date documentation · estimated
Catalog estimate based on source metadata and visual or technical evidence; no reel-level note is linked.
Location documentation · estimated
Catalog estimate based on source metadata and visual evidence such as signage, landmarks, or terrain; no reel-level note is linked.
Period detail
The completed Bay Bridge suspension span behind the Ferry Building places the view after November 1936, and the steamers off the piers may show ferry-era bay traffic.
Film character
Black-and-white small-gauge stock with soft haze, fine grain, scattered dust specks and dark frame edges gives the shot the texture of an original amateur print.
Historical context
The view shows the old ferry terminal and the new bridge side by side during the years when the bridge began carrying traffic that had relied on bay ferries.
Research note
No identifiable people appear; the landmarks are public structures, but the film's copyright status and any architectural or trademark use of the buildings should be considered separately.
Image licensing questions
What resolution will I download?
Your license includes the 3840 × 2160-pixel JPEG in full 4K resolution. The 376 × 256-pixel image on this page is a browsing preview. The licensed image is extracted from the scan master, not enlarged from the preview.
What does the $49 still-image license include?
It covers this one still image. Commercial and editorial usage options are available. Choose the usage, territory and term at checkout. The source video is licensed separately.
Can I see the footage this image came from?
Yes. The source clip is “San Francisco California-1939: Clock Tower and Suspension Bridge Over Piers and Ships on a Hazy Bay”. Its page includes the video preview and the archive’s source and licensing information.