TI 1938

Unfinished History

Treasure Island taking shape in 1938. After two years as a celebratory World's Fair, it became a military base at the outset of WWII. Yerba Buena Island ("Goat Island") is at left of center.

Treasure Island view from the air, Oct. 11, 1940.

Photo: SFMTA Photo D4455A

More Treasure Island

Photo: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA

Illustration of the planned airport for Treasure Island after the World's Fair. Once the Navy took over the airport plans were scuttled.

Image: courtesy Tim Drescher

<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/sf-airport-1941-and-clipper-cove-from-lost-landscapes-no-1" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Footage from SFO in 1941, followed by images of the PanAm Clipper circling around in Clipper Cove off Treasure Island.

Video: from "Lost Landscapes #1, 2007" courtesy Prelinger Archives

<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/GoldenGa1939_3" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Kodachrome footage of the San Francisco World's Fair, held on Treasure Island.

Video: Prelinger Archive, original filmmaker unknown

1997 view of Treasure Island from Yerba Buena Island just to its south. Building in lower right is being used as a movie studio, while the entire island is about to be given back to the city of San Francisco. There is a lot of seismic and toxic mitigation work ahead to make it useful. The building in the center was a Nazi airport in an Indiana Jones movie.

Photo: Chris Carlsson

Prev. Document Next Document