When you bring us your art to frame, we always draw inspiration from what you bring us. These retro style 1950s San Francisco tourist cards with Chinatown, the Cable Car, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate made that easy. They are a little piece of mid-century San Francisco and they called for a frame that works just that.
Framing local San Francisco art is always a treat for us. We have been in the Castro for over 40 years and pieces like these connect us to the city we call home in a way that never gets old.
The design: a seamless black fabric shadowbox
The cards are small and colorful with a strong graphic quality that mid-century tourist art is known for. We wanted them to stand out completely, so we chose a black fabric mat and used the same fabric to line the shadowbox walls inside the frame. When the same material runs continuously from mat to interior wall, there are no visual breaks — the whole inside of the frame reads as one seamless surface and the cards appear to float in a deep, rich field of black. The contrast between the vibrant retro color of the cards and that dark backdrop is sharp and immediate.
We float mounted each card in a grid arrangement, which gives the composition a structured, considered feel while letting each card have its own presence. The shadow line around each float mount adds dimension and a quiet sense of movement to the whole piece.
The frame: art deco gold
The art deco gold frame was an easy call. The cards depict a San Francisco from the 1940s and 50s, an era of elegance, civic pride and confident design and an art deco frame carries all of that. The gold tone elevates the piece and gives it a classic, museum-quality presence on the wall without feeling heavy or old-fashioned. It is a frame that knows the era it is referencing.
The combination of the deep black interior and the warm gold frame is also simply beautiful to look at. The cards do the colorful work inside; the frame gives the whole thing a setting worthy of them.
A local find, framed properly
There is a particular satisfaction in framing something that belongs to this city. Vintage style San Francisco cards like these no matter if they originals from that era or a new graphic design work are exactly the kind of local find that deserves a proper frame rather than a shelf or a drawer.
If you have a set of cards, a vintage map, a historic photograph or anything else that captures a piece of San Francisco, bring it to your local framer. We would love to work with you on it.
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Underglass Custom Picture Framing · Castro District · San Francisco Custom design · Conservation framing · · Open 7 days
