Archive for 'Museum and City History'

Nov201010

1

posted 11:01 AM
under Community, Museum and City History


Baseball, Japan, San Francisco: A Short & Biased History

Willie Mays & Joe DiMaggio

Willie Mays & Joe DiMaggio at the Asian Art Museum in Golden Gate Park

Every morning on my way to work, I cast a glance at City Hall to remind myself that I’m not dreaming.  The Giants flags still fly, the banners proclaiming victory remain, and the Lone Star flag that once flew above Civic Center Plaza has yet to be replaced, an irresistible target for fans.
The air has been a little sweeter, the populace friendlier.  Upon the heels of history, reminiscing is in order.


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Jun201015

10

posted 4:32 PM
under Community, Museum and City History, Shanghai


The Other Shanghai: Oakland?

photo courtesy of Bunky's Pickle

photo courtesy of Bunky's Pickle © used with permission

Although 1940s Shanghai had lost considerable luster courtesy of occupation, war, and revolution, another Shanghai was angling to take its place.  In the same fashion that Hollywood had been responsible for inspiring glamor the world over, nightclubs in search of their own golden era underwent a certain Shanghai-ification.  The city offered a powerful syllogism, an invocation that promised delight and unparalleled decadence.  Even pre-Castro Cuba with its tropical,  imperialist-friendly allure was home to a theater christened “The Shanghai.”

And then there was Oakland. 
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Jun200901

5

posted 3:41 PM
under Museum and City History


A little San Francisco Civic Center history

One of the first questions I get when people come in the door is, “What was this building before it was a museum?” Well, it was the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library, which opened to the public in 1917. But with the help of Rick Prelinger and his archives, we can see back even further. In this film from 1914, government officials are fighting the opium trade …

It is cool to see the building of city hall in the background, and just by the amount of opium pipes being burnt I can’t imagine what a wild west city this used to be.