Vintage Cars in a Campus Parking Structure (Second Floor), SFSU Lake Merced Campus, c. 1961–1963 (Updated two months ago)

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Vintage automobiles are parked on the second level of a parking structure at San Francisco State College’s Lake Merced campus. The row includes mid-1950s American sedans alongside early 1960s compact cars, reflecting the range of vehicles in use during this period. c. 1961–1963.

Tags: sf state buildings and architecture

Added to SFSU Over the Years on July 31, 2026.

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Information

  • Identifier: TP-ATA-1799
  • Date: c. 1961 - 1963
  • Context: <p>Parking structures such as this were developed to support increasing automobile use among students, faculty, and staff during the early 1960s. The mix of vehicles&mdash;from large, chrome-heavy sedans to newer compact models&mdash;illustrates a transitional moment in American car design and campus life. The structure itself remains largely unchanged today.</p> <p data-start="1023" data-end="1071"><strong data-start="1023" data-end="1069">Automobiles (approximate identifications):</strong></p> <ul data-start="1072" data-end="1370"> <li data-section-id="1x68qd9" data-start="1072" data-end="1166">Foreground (right): likely 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air (mid-1950s styling with whitewall tires)</li> <li data-section-id="gnd6a1" data-start="1167" data-end="1281">Adjacent vehicle: likely 1957 Chevrolet (Bel Air or 210), identifiable by tail fins and dual round tail lights</li> <li data-section-id="ofatox" data-start="1282" data-end="1370">Mid-left (facing camera): likely 1960 Chevrolet Corvair (compact rear-engine design)</li> </ul> <p data-start="1372" data-end="1391"><strong data-start="1372" data-end="1389">Architecture:</strong></p> <ul data-start="1392" data-end="1513"> <li data-section-id="1lfjawh" data-start="1392" data-end="1452">Reinforced concrete parking structure with exposed beams</li> <li data-section-id="ly4wwn" data-start="1453" data-end="1513">Column markings (e.g., &ldquo;2M&rdquo;) indicating level or section</li> </ul> <div>&nbsp;</div> <p><strong>Credits:</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Some technical descriptions and historical interpretations were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p>
  • Geographic Coverage: San Francisco, CA
  • Temporal Coverage: around 1961-1963
  • Type: Still Image
  • Format: Negative
  • Source: San Francisco State University Archives
  • Rights: Public

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