San Francisco, CA
13 pics
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Aug 2019
This pic was taken in Oct 1991, but I can remember exactly where this was- there's a parking garage on the corner of Sutter and Stockton- opposite it, off Bush St, is Chatham Place, at the end of which was lurking a lonely mercury vapour cobrahead. It was presumably missed out because much of the rest of the city centre at that point was HPS.
Update Oct
2007: There was a lot of series incandescent lighting (mostly teardrops) in downtown San Francisco, but this has all been slated for removal, as at the time of writing
(October 2007) this is well underway.
Update May 2025: More GSV pics show that there was a drop lens fixture there until at least Feb 2018, but by
Aug 2019 it was replaced with an LED fixture. Quite possible this was the mercury fixture pictured here.
10 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Nov 2017
22 years later, and I revisited the Bay Area and San Francisco. It was great to see the downtown area and a good deal round about, still has lots of series incandescent lighting, despite replacement plans being well underway. These pics taken around the Merced Manor district.
10 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Nov 2017
Some districts were almost exclusively series incandescent with vintage gumball and teardrop fixtures, like this.
10 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Feb 2024
This is on Kearny St in Chinatown, and there were lots of fixtures like these attached to the trolley poles. Series wired incandescent. With the fixture lit, a great view of the correct lamp in this fixture, putting the light centre of the filament in the right place inside the glassware.
10 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Feb 2025
Amazingly this fixture is still there, and still with incandescent lamp, in 2025 according to GSV. No word on whether it, and the rest of the series loop it's connected to, still work though.
10 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jun 2019
This on the 900 block of Columbus Ave, this loop was changed out before 2019 and as in other parts of the city, the existing poles now sport decorative modern fixtures. Get the full size picture and you will see here a mixture of incandescent and HPS lamps in the fixtures, even back in 2012 the city was trying to move away from incandescent as a light source. This loop must have had enough spare capacity for a few series HPS ballasts.
10 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Mar 2022
There are a few streets around the Telegraph Hill & North Beach disctricts that are lit with these 1960s fixtures - Line Material Industries from the "Styled Mercury" range.
10 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Mar 2022
They appear to be a miniature version of the Stylevue fixture, although I can find no reference to them in contemporary literature. They burn mercury lamps, and appear to be multiple wired as they have photocells on top.
10 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Mar 2022
This one at Grant & Francisco. Despite more modern poles and fixtures being installed on these streets in addition to these, they seem to have survived.
10 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of May 2019
This fine example of a series incandescent teardrop fixture was on the 600 block of Bay St. It was gone after 2017, again, replaced by a modern reproduction.
10 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Nov 2024
These odd looking things are lighting the yacht harbour on Marina Blvd.
10 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Nov 2024
These are probably Holophane fixtures, we didn't get there at night so no word on whether they still work.
10 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Nov 2017
Update May 2025: All gone during 2015, the poles and arms do survive but with LED fixtures now.
This pic is of Gellert Drive at dusk. It's in the Merced Manor district on the west side of the peninsula. This district was one that was almost all still incandescent lit with fixtures like these on concrete poles.