Two albumen photographs by I.W. Taber of San Francisco are mounted back-to-back on a single album page, each printed with a black title strip along the bottom edge bearing the catalog number, street name, and "Taber Photo., San Francisco." The first view, cataloged B 2341, presents Market Street from an elevated vantage point looking toward the distant downtown skyline, with multiple sets of cable car tracks running the length of the street, horse-drawn vehicles, pedestrians on the sidewalks, and a dense row of multi-story commercial buildings with awnings lining the right side. The second view, cataloged B 34, captures California Street at street level looking uphill, with cobblestone paving, cable car rails, and a prominent corner building on the right bearing a large sign for a Patent Agency and Law Office.

Isiah West Taber operated his studio in San Francisco from the 1870s through the early 1900s and was one of the city's most prolific commercial photographers, producing extensive documentary series of city streets, landmarks, and public life. Both views predate the 1906 earthquake and preserve streetscapes that were entirely destroyed in that disaster.

The Market Street image is numbered B 2341 and the California Street image B 34, with "Taber Photo., San Francisco" printed on both title strips. The album page measures 8 1/2 by 12 1/4 inches, with each image approximately 4 3/4 by 7 1/4 inches.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer