Stunning Black and White Photographs of San Francisco From Between the 1940s and 1960s Taken by Fred Lyon

With a landmark around every corner and a picture perfect view atop every hill, San Francisco might be the world s most picturesque city. And yet, the Golden City is so much more than postcard vistas. Photographer Fred Lyon has been photographing San Francisco for 70 years and his obsession with the city teeming with creative types and innovators began at a young age.

In San Francisco, Portrait of a City 1940--1960, Fred Lyon captures the iconic landscapes and one-of-a-kind personalities that transformed the city by the bay into a legend. Here are some of stunning black and white photographs from San Francisco in the 1940s up until 1960 offer a glimpse of the California city as it was washed over by rush of optimism and opportunity after the destitution after World war II began to subside.

(San Francisco, Portrait of a City 1940--1960. Photos by Fred Lyon)