Book excerpt: Its place directly opposite San Francisco Bay from one of the world's most visited cities has left Oakland to struggle against comparison from the start. It has greeted that challenge by asserting its identity as an effervescent international port city with a richly diverse, uniquely creative, and highly resilient population. Oakland consistently finds itself at the forefront of the rapid pace of change that California has helped to drive, with its history of daring experiments in social, scientific, and cultural innovation. The camera has preserved glimpses into the impacts of that change--and the ways in which Oakland has adapted to sustain itself as a charming and welcoming gateway to the Pacific. Historic Photos of Oakland collects a small fraction of the record the cameras have left behind, providing a compelling view of the colorful past of the "second" City by the Bay.