SFMTA Archives

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Photographic Archive is a visual history of the city’s public transportation history dating back to the 19th Century. Our mission is to preserve and digitize this vast collection of photographs which includes a wide assortment of glass plate, nitrate and acetate negatives, as well as one-of-a-kind prints. These amazing images tell the story of San Francisco, its transition from a stretch of sand dunes to an internationally acclaimed city, it's rise from the rubble of the devastating earthquake of 1906 and the vital role public transportation played and continues to play in revitalizing the city. We look forward to sharing these compelling images with you and hope that you enjoy them as much as we do.