Hours
The Photo Desk is closed from 12–1pm on Saturday.
The San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, located in the San Francisco History Center on the 6th floor, contains photographs and works on paper of San Francisco and California views from 1850 to the present. More about the collection
- Order Images
- Permissions
- Collections
- Find Photographs of a San Francisco Building
- Classic Image Database
- Explore SFPL's images in Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and Calisphere
- Photo Collection Frequently Asked Questions
- SFPL's images on flickr
- BLOG: What's On the 6th Floor?
Class Visits and Tours
We welcome class visits and group tours of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection. If you are interested in bringing your class or group for a visit, please contact us at least two weeks in advance at (415) 557-4567 or sfphoto@sfpl.org.
When reaching out, please include the following information:
- The name of your organization or school
- The aspect of the photography collection that interests your students or group
- Grade level (if applicable)* and number of participants
- Preferred dates and times for your visit
*For grades 7–12: Please do not email. Instead, fill out the Class Visit Request Form to begin the scheduling process.
Information For Donors
Gifts and donations are important elements in the development of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection. Interested donors should contact the Photo Curator for more information: (415) 557-4359 or sfphoto@sfpl.org.