R.J. Waters: Golden Gate Park

R.J. Waters: Golden Gate Park

This year marks the 150th anniversary of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. In partnership with the San Francisco Parks Alliance and the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco International Airport is proud to present an exhibition of historical photographs by photographer R.J. Waters that date to the early days of Golden Gate Park.

Waters was born in Virginia City, Nevada, in 1856. Already working as a photographer in his mid-thirties, he moved to San Francisco in 1892 and established a photography studio at 110 Sutter Street. Waters would become well known for his commercial photographic work for local businesses, his breathtaking panoramic images of the Bay Area, and his documentation of the 1906 earthquake. 

Waters documented daily life in Golden Gate Park between the years of 1896 and 1902, producing a small portfolio of silver gelatin prints that is now held in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library. These photographs, many of which are now over 120 years old, feature early scenes of many locations that remain recognizable to today’s visitors to the park—Stow Lake, the Polo Fields, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the Conservatory of Flowers, among others. Some of the images reveal the changes to the landscape and its surroundings over the years, while others attest to the timeless nature of the park’s winding paths and exquisite landscaping. Reflected in all of R.J. Waters’ carefully crafted photographs is an enduring sense of appreciation and gratitude for Golden Gate Park that has been felt by visitors throughout the years. 

This exhibition is part of the citywide celebration of the 150th anniversary of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. For more information about the celebration and events occurring throughout this calendar year, please visit www.goldengatepark150.com

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