Rick Prelinger kicked off his ninth installment of Lost Landscapes of San Francisco with his usual directive to the audience of 1,400-- “You are the soundtrack.” In a sold-out house at the historic Castro Theater, audience members followed suit by calling out the names of streets, identifying neighborhoods, and adding historical context.

More than half of the show this year was comprised of new footage. This year’s show opened with a familiar scene: a half-built eastern section of the Bay Bridge--only this time it was in the process of being built (instead of its current state of half-dismantled). The show continued with some neighborhood tours courtesy of extra Hollywood B-roll footage. One of the highlights this year was newly restored footage of the 01915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, including the last time the Liberty Bell made a trip across the country. Rick also premiered some newly discovered footage of San Francisco’s more recent history: peace rallies from the Vietnam War and footage of early hippies on Haight street.

Rick Prelinger's archive contains hundreds of historical films showing San Francisco and Northern California history, the history of technology and industry, and everyday life.