Barney Peterson/Chronicle 1974

Considering it’s in the basement, is officially called the “morgue” and looks kind of like a serial killer’s lair, the Chronicle archives are a surprisingly upbeat place. Whether it’s old snow photos, or roller skaters or an old TV personality, most of the folders are filled with smiling faces. There’s a feeling of promise. I usually walk out with a spring in my step.

The “Skid Row” folder was completely different.

When I opened this file, I honestly thought I might be looking at the band Skid Row. Sebastian Bach twirling his microphone cord above his head or doing a stage dive. Instead, it was filled with photos of homelessness and hard times in San Francisco from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s. It felt like the scene in “Raiders” where the bad guys open the ark. Ghosts twirled around my head.

I find these photos to be very moving. It doesn’t make me angry but I do get kind of sad. I would get considerably more depressed if a large number of comments made fun of the subjects in these images — or people used the photos to fuel a modern-day political argument. If anything, I think these photos over a four-decade period prove that poverty and homelessness are a problem no matter who is in office.

Below are some of the memorable photos from the Skid Row file. If you want to request something else from our archives, send me a postcard at the Chronicle. More details on how to do that in this post.

.

Joe Rosenthal/Chronicle 1948

Feb. 15, 1948: From the caption on the back of the photo: “SKID ROW SURVEY: Up and down Howard Street — one of life’s blind alleys — the Mayor of the Bowery ranged yesterday. Sammy Fuchs was looking for a man to save. Most bums, he said, get started because of women. Then they take solace in the bottle and wind up like the ones you see above. Each month he takes one who he thinks can make a comeback. Somewhere on Howard Street he will find his man.”

.

Joe Rosenthal/Chronicle 1948

Feb. 15, 1948: More from Sammy Fuchs. Note that both of these photos were taken by Joe Rosenthal — longtime Chronicle photographer who was famous for shooting the famous Flag of Iwo Jima photo. This looks like something from a stage play to me, but it appears to be real.

.

Joe Rosenthal/Chronicle 1950

April 13, 1950: From the caption: “Last night was the night that census takers counter the men in ‘hotels, third class,’ missions and just plain flophouses across the nation. In San Francisco, they worked along the Embarcadero, Howard Street and the alleys, counting men who don’t count much to anyone else, getting the names of some who preferred to be nameless and had to be talked into answering government questions …”

.

Duke Downey/Chronicle 1956

May 13, 1956: The caption reads: “A Skid Row citizen with all his worldly possessions.” I’m struck by how many of the down-on-their luck San Franciscans in these photos are wearing hats.

.

Clem Albers/Chronicle 1956

May 14, 1956: The back of the photo indicates that this image was used in an Art Hoppe series. If someone can identify the location of this San Francisco billboard, let us know in the comments.

.

Chronicle archives

Sept. 14, 1956: This is from an amateur photographer identified only as “Daulvy.” The caption reads: “That’s the way it goes — at least, on Skid Row. A bunk for the night — in jail.”

.

Chronicle archives/1958

May 13, 1958: Note the “Let’s go forward! Elect George Christopher our Mayor” flier. The caption on this one reads: “If a wino falls asleep in a Skid Row doorway, no one will call the cops — not so in the rest of the city.”

.

Duke Downey/Chronicle 1964

Feb. 5, 1964: There wasn’t a caption with this one, I’m guessing because the photo says it all.

.

Dave Randolph/Chronicle 1969

Dec. 18, 1969: The caption on the back is handwritten, so I’m sure I’m getting the name of the deli wrong: “Free food distribution to winos at Fredi Palitz delicatessen.”

.

Dave Randolph/Chronicle 1970

Dec. 26, 1970: This photo was in a sub-folder marked “Derelicts.” The words “wino” and “bum” were also used freely several decades ago, which you won’t see used outside of a quote in a news story today. This is definitely one thing I like about our politically correct times.

.

Jerry Telfer/Chronicle 1974

May 13, 1974: The caption reads “Patron in a 6th Street bar.” This is a block away from the Chronicle building. The scene hasn’t changed much.

.

PETER HARTLAUB is the pop culture critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and founder of this parenting blog, which admittedly sometimes has nothing to do with parenting. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/peterhartlaub. Your questions answered on VYou at www.vyou.com/peterhartlaub.