Life On Market Street: An Audio Archive

San Francisco, CA • 2004

One of San Francisco’s main thoroughfares, Market Street remains true to its name, transecting & linking a wide array of communities or “markets”. “Life on Market Street: An Audio Archive”, was an attempt to understand contemporary Market Street by “mapping” everyday conversations with people who live & work along Market Street, capturing the ephemeral interactions that often escape documentation. As a self-guided walking tour, the audio archive is a portrait in sound that engages the public as both subject matter & navigational tool. On April 1, 2004, we distributed 2,000 free copies of the CD & map along Market Street. The audio was also transmitted from a mirrored mobile micro radio studio from sites along the street, bridging the “vertical audience” in office buildings with those along the street. The studio housed a solar-powered AM radio transmitter that was used to broadcast the compiled recordings along Market Street. The Audio Archive is part of the collection of the San Francisco Library’s History Room.

Commissioned by The San Francisco Arts Commission

Special thanks to Suzanne Cockrell 

01 • Intro:

02 • Ferry Captain:

03 • Clocktower:

04 • Ferry Building Gates:

05 • Farmers Market:

06 • Federal Reserve Bank:

07 • News Stand:

08 • Cab Driver:

09 • Cable Car:

10 • Harpist:

11 • Wealth Management Advisor:

12 • Financial Advisor:

13 • Client Associate:

14 • Man On Street With Dog:

15 • Development Manager:

16 • Book Store:

17 • Tobacconist:

18 • Eyeglass Store:

19 • Clothing Store:

20 • Cafe:

21 • Vibraphone Musician:

22 • Bike Messenger:

23 • Shoeshine:

24 • Man With Sign:

25 • Shoe Store:

26 • Tourist:

27 • Shoeshine:

28 • Crafts Vendor:

29 • Lease Administrator:

30 • Tap Dancer:

31 • Chess Player:

32 • Clothing Store:

33 • Imports Store:

34 • Street Sweeper:

35 • Police Officer:

36 • Bay Area Bart Station:

37 • Musician:

38 • Ribs:

39 • Pedestrian:

40 • Florist:

41 • Sandwich Shop:

42 • Mattress Company:

43 • Lgbt Youth Center:

44 • Lgbt Community Center:

45 • Hardware Store:

46 • Funeral Parlor:

47 • Resident:

48 • Additional Info for the visually impaired: