Visitors to Sutro Heights

Visitors along the parapet at Sutro Heights overlooking the San Francisco coastline. Adolph Sutro built his Sutro Heights home on a rocky ledge overlooking the Cliff House. In 1883, he opened the grounds, consisting of a turreted mansion, a carriage house and out buildings set in expansive gardens with Romanistic statues, to the public. Photograph inscribed: "138. Sutro Heights, San Francisco, Cal., H. F. Rile, Photo." Photograph inscribed (handwritten): "Tom Vandergrift." On verso: Promotional advertisement for Pacific Photograph Gallery, H. F. Rile, Artist. Rile was an early photographer in Santa Monica with a photography studio at the beach. His many photographs documented the landscape and buildings of early Santa Monica.