This book tells the story of the city's ascent; its people, great moments, and feats of architecture. From the earliest maps of the area to superb photography of its most famous buildings, the book picks out images that best represent key points in the development of San Francisco as we know it today. It includes photographs of the city's best loved sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Chinatown, the Ferry Building and Embarcadero as well as intriguing fragments of the past, such as vintage photos of the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake, Telegraph Hill's Coit Tower, and Ghirardelli Square.