Public spaces change fast here in San Francisco, and for better or worse, it can be pretty crazy when you see what the City used to look like. Every week, we'll bring you Then & Now, a comparison of historic photos of the Bay Area with current views from the same perspective. Have a suggestion for a photo comparison that looks totally different (or shockingly the same)? Drop us a tip in the Curbed Inbox or leave a comment after the jump.
Quick note: See that vertical green bar in the middle of the then and now photos? You can move it horizontally to see the photos side by side.
[1942 Then photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY/ Now photo: Google Maps] Start your weekend off right with a quick history on San Francisco's Acme Beer. Started as a transplant from Seattle's Olympia Brewery after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire destroyed many SF breweries, Acme was originally located at the foot of Telegraph Hill. They survived prohibition by making an Acme Light "near beer" with 0.5% alcohol, and became successful enough to require a new bottling plant by the 1940s, built on Buchanan between Fulton and Grove Streets.
Acme Beer delivery truck after the end of prohibition in 1933 [Photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY
According to a nice history by Burrito Justice, Acme struggled to compete with larger national brands and was sold to an East Coast company in 1954, only to close the SF plant by 1958. The plant was demo'd in 1968 and the site became home to affordable housing complex Banneker Homes, which still remains today after a 2007 renovation. North Coast Brewing fans may recognize the old Acme logo - the Fort Bragg brewery bought the rights and now makes an Acme IPA and Pale Ale.
· History of the Acme Brewing Company [Brewery Gems]
· Acme, The Once and Future Beer [Burrito Justice]
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