A view across the water toward San Francisco's Ferry Building, its clock tower rising above the long ferry arcade and the neighboring Adams Express Co. building. A boat wake cuts across the foreground, suggesting the ferry traffic that kept the waterfront busy.
Before the bay bridges, ferries were the main link between San Francisco and the surrounding communities, and the Ferry Building served as the city's principal arrival point.
Black-and-white real photo postcard; white caption in negative: 'WATER FRONT, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.'; also 'ADAMS EXPRESS CO.'; surface scratches and dust specks.
No postmark; unused divided-back card. AZO stamp box with triangles (up top, down bottom) suggests ca. 1918-1926. Matte real-photo texture, no white border. Small pencil dealer mark '4- RMLJ' at top left; no message, address, or stamp.
Cite this card
Ferry Building and waterfront, San Francisco, CA, circa 1918, postcard, c. 1918. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/ferry-building-and-waterfront-san-francisco-ca-circa-1918. Accessed November 2, 2026.
