The Archival Project is a community-driven initiative dedicated to preserving the stories, histories, and lived experiences of the South of Market neighborhood through photography, personal collections, and visual documentation.
Led by Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO)’s long-standing commitment to community advocacy and cultural preservation, the project invites residents, artists, photographers, and local organizations to contribute materials that reflect the evolving identity of Sixth Street (San Francisco) and the surrounding SoMa community.
More than a historical archive, the project is an effort to ensure that the voices and experiences of the neighborhood are preserved and represented by the people who have lived in the area, past & present.
Through photo scanning & written histories, the initiative creates opportunities for community members to actively participate in documenting their own history.
Capturing moments of everyday life, resilience, activism, creativity, and change that are too often overlooked in broader narratives about San Francisco.
The archive will serve as both a cultural resource and an educational tool, helping future generations better understand the people, movements, and communities that shaped 6th Street & SoMa over decades of transformation.
At its core, the project reflects a belief that preserving neighborhood history is an act of community care. One that honors the past while strengthening collective identity and connection in the present
