Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

New History Books Round-Up

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Good friends of the Western Neighborhoods Project have new books out this month.

Transit historian Grant Ute has coauthored with Walter Vielbaum, Robert Townley, and the late Philip Hoffman and Cameron Beach (the transit guys are very collaborative) to produce San Francisco’s Municipal Railway: Muni. A large-format 144-page book from Arcadia Publishing, this photo-history comes out in time for Muni’s 2012 Centennial and covers the railway’s development to date. If you can, I recommend you buy it at the one of my favorite places, the Market Street Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street near the Ferry Building.

Also out in August is Theatres of the San Francisco Peninsula by Jack Tillmany and Gary Lee Parks. We usually try to keep our focus on San Francisco history, west side in particular, but I can never resist images of local theaters. There’s something about the vanishing movie house that cranks up my nostaligia endorphins. (Jack, for all his knowledge and love of theaters is far less sappy than I. Perhaps because he’s managed theaters.)

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Talking ’bout Books

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Some of you may remember my post about Jacquie Proctor’s new book on architect Harold Stoner, who brought a storybook quality to many west SF buildings.

Jacquie will be doing a slide show talk on the subject at the West Portal branch library on Monday, November 8, 2010 at 7 p.m. The address is 190 Lenox Way at Ulloa Street, right next to the West Portal streetcar station. Check it out. It’s free!

Speaking of books, I recently had the pleasure of reading a work of fiction by WNP member James Clifford. Jim has written a couple of pieces for the Web site about Pine Lake, growing up in the Sunset, and World War II. “Philip’s Code” is a crime/mystery novel that weaves in more interesting information about the wire service business than I thought I’d ever learn. There’s also quite a bit of referencing to San Francisco history (especially the 1960s and 1970s) from the perspective of a person who lived it as a reporter. Not a history book, but a good read that mentions lots of west SF neighborhood places. It’s on Amazon:

Philip’s Code

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See SF from the 1940s and 1950s

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

Playground fence by Fred Lyon

The photographer Fred Lyon took some compelling and beautiful images of San Francisco life in the 1940s & 1950s, and will be at Green Apple Books on Saturday, September 18, 2010 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Mr. Lyon will sign copies of “San Francisco Then” and share stories from his 80-plus years in the City by the Bay.

Green Apple Books is at 506 Clement Street, just west of Sixth Avenue in the beautiful Richmond District.

Do some time-traveling and see some of Fred’s work:

http://www.kqed.org/arts/visualarts/article.jsp?essid=30068

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Posted in Events - Other, Reviews, Richmond | 2 Comments »

Who is Harold Stoner?

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Those who read the San Francisco Chronicle may have seen (in the April 25 edition) the admiration that architecture/design columnist John King has for the rocket-ship medical building in Lakeside Village. That building was designed by Harold G. Stoner, who was the architect for a great many of the residences in the Lakeside neighborhood.

Thanks to the new book by WNP member Jacqueline Proctor, Bay Area Beauty—The Artistry of Harold G. Stoner, Architect, I find that the English-born Stoner was the visionary behind many west SF landmark buildings. The 1930s “Tropic Beach” facade of the Sutro Baths, the Stone House in Forest Hill, and many head-turning, fairy-tale cottages in Balboa Terrace. Stoner was even responsible for the Sally Rand Nude Ranch on Treasure Island’s Golden Gate International Exposition in 1930-1940.

I think we’ve talked Ms. Proctor into writing us a piece on Stoner for the July WNP member newsletter, but I recommend her book to those with an interest in the beautiful, fascinating, and unusual architecture that can surprise out here in the Outside Lands.

Bay Area Beauty—The Artistry of Harold G. Stoner, Architect

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