Sentinel Building at the intersection of Columbus Ave and Kearny Street in San Francisco's Chinatown District. It was completed in 1907, slowed by the 1906 earthquake. It was originally used as the headquarters of Abe Ruef, an influential politician of the city. From 1950, the basement was used as the "hungry i" nightclub, which served numerous well-known musicians and comedians as a stage and which had a major influence on stand-up comedy. It was later renamed "Columbus Tower" and temporarily used as the headquarters by the band "The Kingston Trio". It then became sold it to film director Francis Ford Coppola, who renovated it and named it back to "Sentinel Building". Today the building has different users; much of it is used by the American Zoetrope film studio, which Zoetrope founded with George Lucas.

To the right stood (as still today) the "International Hotel" and a courthouse (today part of City College). Part of the "Montgomery Block" can be seen on the far left. It was San Francisco's first fire and earthquake resistant building and served as the headquarters for many famous lawyers, bankers, writers, actors and artists. It was demolished in 1959 and replaced by the Transamerica Pyramid in 1972, part of which can be seen in the new photo.

Before picture: Courtesy of opensfhistory.org (picture no.: wnp27.6477). Photographer unknown