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Hearst Plans for SF World's Fair

11/19/2022

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The articles printed in The Examiner. Click to enlarge)
(excerpt from Chapter 10 - Banjos, Bohemians and the Barbary.)
     
And then the dreaded letter arrived that would take Dan away from me. Willis wrote to tell Daniel that he and William Hearst, the new young publisher of the San Francisco Examiner, were in discussions to design schematics for a proposed San Francisco World’s Fair in 1900. His first assignment was to go to Chicago and meet with the Chief architect for the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition, Daniel Burnham. He was to write and draw a series of articles about the site and bring back ideas and information on cost and construction. He wanted Daniel to join him.

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The Robert Louis Stevenson Connection 1896

10/24/2021

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Alvarado Street, Monterey California by Jules Tavernier. (Note the Bohemia Salon (sic) on the right)
   In 1896 the San Francisco Call newspaper featured an article referring to "Sanchez' bar" in Monterey. The big news was that architect Willis Polk and artist Charles Rollo Peters were prepared to enjoy a drink and view the famous art and writing on the walls when they found the bar with a new name and new ownership. Worse yet, the new owner had destroyed the precious work by painting the walls. The destroyed vignettes were known works by William Keith, CR Peters, Jules Tavernier, Daniel Polk, Albert Bierstadt, John Muir, Ernest Piexetto, Xavier Martinez, Robert Louis Stevenson and many more. Willis was so upset at the destruction, he immediately took a train back to San Francisco.

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Earthquake TALES from Coppa

10/24/2021

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Original Coppa's Restaurant was a legendary bohemian gathering place in the Montgomery (Monkey) Block where the Transamerica Building now stands. Its crowning glory were the wild murals, created by the artists and writers who made the place their second home sitting for hours at the center table in a long, narrow room with 21 tables.
The leader of the San Francisco Bohemians was Porter Garnett, a writer, editor,  designer and co-creator, with Gelett Burgess, of the 1895 literary magazine The Lark. The group also included the painters Xavier Martinez, Ernest Peixetto, Maynard Dixon, poets and writers George Sterling, James Hopper, sculptor Robert Aiken, Willis and Dan Polk were also frequently in attendance along with many others. The late evening libations were decidedly misogynistic and never included wives. Women were included on occasion if they were pretty enough, or a current girlfriend for a one time review.

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The bomb that shook San Francisco

7/21/2021

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The 1916 Preparedness Parade. courtesy US Library of Congress
Over a century ago, tensions about the war in Europe, labor unrest and the Committee for Law and Order exploded. Quite literally on July 22, 1916, a suitcase bomb killed 10 and seriously injured 40, at the city’s “Preparedness Day” parade—one of the largest parades in the city’s history with 51,000 marchers participating. Everybody seemed to be there including Phoebe Hearst leading delegations of women down Market street. The bomb exploded at 2:06 at Market and Steuart Streets. 
   The idea behind a “preparedness” demonstration, which also took place in New York and Washington, D.C, was to support the American military in the event of the nation entering World War I - which we did one year later. But many were against this interference overseas, and labor leaders protested it was another get rich scheme for industrialists on the backs of working men.  So after the mystery bomb blast left little evidence, the police and government was eager to find the criminals. Immediately socialists, anarchists and pro-labor organizers were targeted. Two labor activists, whom the papers referred to as "radicals", were convicted and jailed then released in 1939 after the police were accused of witness tampering in a mob scene trial.  ​

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1906 San Francisco

9/6/2020

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"House of the Flag" San Francisco Landmark seen upper left corner following earthquake and fires 1906.
This view from Nob Hill looking up Taylor at Jackson to Vallejo Street - is half a block from the summit of Russian Hill. The true summit lies at Vallejo between Taylor and Jones. Also seen here are the cross streets of Pacific Avenue and Broadway. Ina Coolbrith Park is located just across the Vallejo stairs from the house seen in the upper left corner - The House of the Flag. 

Today the 225 step Vallejo Stairs are on both sides of Taylor Street. The House of the Flag is on the SE corner of the Vallejo stairs and Taylor Street. It was named a San Francisco landmark in 1972 and has become part of the lore of this special neighborhood which was home to a coterie of the most creative and interesting San Franciscans of their time. It also largely survived the fire and has many pre-earthquake buildings still standing watch from the top of Russian Hill.

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    Some stories that couldn't make the book in full ... but need to be told! Editors welcomed - sign up below.
    STORIES
    WR HEARST PLANS
    SONG: DAISY
    HOT SPRINGS 1882
    A WILLIS POLK GIFT
    THE RLS CONNECTION 1896

    ​EARTHQUAKE TALES FROM COPPA
    PANDEMIC OF 1889
    ​
    THE BOMB THAT SHOOK SF
    MILAN:CITY OF WATER
    ​
    POLK ON THE MAP
    ​
    FEATHERS, FASHION & FLY FISHING
    ​
    RARE AVIATION FILM - WWI 1914-17
    ​
    1906 SAN FRANCISCO
    ​
    WTF FILES - TECHNOLOGICAL
    ​
    GET ME OUTTA HERE!
    ​
    NO HORSES, NO TENTS, NO $
    DAISY IN FRENCH LITERATURE
    DAISY ON FILM!
    THE WHITE DEATH
    THE SYMBOLISM OF FLOWERS
    POSTE DE SECOURS  WWI
    TRAVEL 1900: LONDON TO PARIS 

    DAISY: REST IN PEACE
    ​
    KEITH'S, DRANE'S & KENTUCKY
    ​MOTHER: MISSOURI COMPROMISE 

    Topics

    All
    Aviation
    Besancon
    Children
    Crossing The Channel
    Daniel Polk
    Earthquake
    Endemial Josephine Polk
    Film
    Henry Clay
    Herbert Hoover
    Hot Springs 1882
    League Of Women Voters
    Lou Henry Hoover
    Milan
    Pandemic
    Paris
    Phoebe Hearst
    Poste De Secours
    Prevenatoriums
    Reverend TJ Drane
    San Francisco
    Suffrage
    Susan Keith
    Travel In 1900's
    Victorians
    War Relief Work
    William Randolph Hearst
    Willis Polk
    Willis Webb Polk
    World War I
    WTF

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