Charles Meryon

Although Meryon, a Parisian, never visited San Francisco, he was commissioned to make this panoramic portrait of the city, working only from a set of five photographs. Because the images did not match up in perspective or scope, Meryon was forced to invent portions of the view—a process that he described as “tiresome labor.” The central plaque was likely intended to help resolve this issue by obscuring details of the buildings in the foreground. Figures symbolizing abundance and labor lean against the city’s name, accompanied by small round portraits of the men who commissioned the work.