Date-specific history always captures my attention, especially through photography. As such, the San Francisco Chronicle did the capturing this morning, with this 1971 photo of the Transamerica Pyramid under construction.
As it looked in 1971.
This is the first time I’ve seen this excellent photo. I’ll admit that until now I could not have told you off the top of my head exactly when the Transamerica Pyramid was built, though I would have guessed (and correctly so) that it’s a contemporary of the World Trade and John Hancock Centers. Is it any coincidence that “The Towering Inferno,” set in San Francisco, commenced production in 1973?
Fittingly enough, today’s Chronicle piece discusses the now-almost-40-year-old so-called “Manhattanization scare” that rattled at least some factions of San Francisco. Suffice to say, the article concludes with the seemingly intended-to-comfort reminder that “San Francisco did not turn into Manhattan.”
Perhaps my recent and succinct description of my new home city is inaccurate. For months now, I’ve been referring to San Francisco as “a mini Manhattan with hills.” Apparently, as I’ve just now come to learn, more than a few people would beg to differ.
Ryan R. Sanderson 