Julia Morgan 150 -- January 20, 2022

Julia Morgan, the first woman to receive an architect's license in California, was born 150 years ago today, on 20-January-1872.  She performed many commissions for the Hearst family, most famously Hearst Castle, which I hope to visit one day. 

The Hearst Building at Third and Market in San Francisco, seen above, was built in 1909-1911. In 1938, Julia Morgan redesigned the facade. I took the photos of the building and its entrance on 18-December-2008.

Sara Holmes Boutelle's Julia Morgan, Architect.

News of the Week 05-December-1914 -- December 5, 2014

The 05-December-1914 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.

"Indian troops en route to camp at Lyndhurst, England.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  Indian cavalry did not have many opportunities to operate in Europe.  Later they served in the Middle East.  Lyndhurst, Hampshire is a town in the New Forest. 

"Some of the Canadian troops snapped in England.  Copyrighted 1914 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Canada had several regiments of Highlanders. 

"Germans massing troops at Brussels.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  The Germans trampled Belgium on their way to invade France. 

"German wounded being taken from Ostend to Brussels.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  I'm not sure why the wounded are riding in the tender of a steam locomotive.  I can't tell if they are prisoners, but I don't think so. 

"Belgium's bicycle corps which has distinguished itself.  Copyrighted 1914 by Universal Animated Weekly."  The Belgians did everything they could to resist the German invaders.  The British and German armies also had bicycle infantry. 

"One of the Turk mobilization camps near Constantinople.  Copyrighted 1914 by Universal Animated Weekly."  The Ottoman Empire entered the war in 1915. 

News of the Week 28-November-1914 -- November 28, 2014

The 21-November-1914 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.

"British troops gathering at St. Albans, England to resist possible invasion.  Copyrighted 1914 by Universal Animated Weekly."  There was fear of an invasion early in the war, but the great strength of the Royal Navy made anything more than raids unlikely. 

"The Kronprinzessin Cecilie held in Boston harbor to escape capture by British.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie sailed for North German Lloyd between Bremen and New York.  She was on her way to Germany from the United States when the war started.  She turned back to America.  After the US entered the war, the government commandeered her to use as a troop ship and renamed her Mount Vernon. 

"Celebrating Trafalgar Day in England.  Copyrighted 1914 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Trafalgar Day, October 21, celebrates Admiral Horatio Nelson's 1805 victory over the French and Spanish fleets. 

"Salvation Army, in Boston, making bandages for Europe's wounded.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  During the war, making bandages was an important act. 

"Belgian troops advancing to the Yser to meet Germans.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  The Belgians did what they could to resist the German invasion. 

News of the Week 21-November-1914 - November 21, 2014

The 21-November-1914 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels. 

"U.S. Battleship New York passing under Brooklyn Bridge after making speed trial.  Copyrighted 1914 by Universal Film Mfg. Co."  USS New York (BB-34) served in both World Wars. 

"Loading J. D. Rockefeller's chartered steamer for Belgians' relief.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  After the German invasion, the people of occupied Belgium were starving.  Many Americans tried to provide relief. 

"French troops going to the front.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  You can't see it in the photo, but their trousers would have been bright red and their coats would have been blue. 

News of the Week 14-November-1914 - November 14, 2014

The 14-November-1914 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels. 

"The Belgian retreat from Antwerp.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial." The war began when the Germans violated the neutrality of Belgium by invading that country on their way to invade France.

"Belgians in armored auto returning with war trophies.  Copyrighted 1914 by Universal Film Mfg. Co." The Italians had used armored cars in the 1911-1912 war with the Turks, but the Belgians were the first to use them during World War One. This may be one of their improvised Minerva Armored Cars.

"Fifty lives lost in mine disaster at Royalton, Ill.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  Fifty-one miners died when Franklin Coal and Coke's North Mine exploded. 

"England's prisoners of war at Detention Camp, near Aldershot.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."Aldershot, a major center of the British Army, housed German POWs during the war. 

"Buying horses in New York for the Allies' armies.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  The British, French and Russians purchased many horses in America.  Armies in World War One depended on horses for pulling wagons and artillery.

"Arrival of English wounded at West Ham Hospital.  Copyrighted 1914 by Hearst-Selig News Pictorial."  West Ham was a borough of London. 

The Family -- January 27, 2014

This plaque, at Commercial and Montgomery Streets, marks the 100th anniversary of the 05-April-1902 founding of The Family, a private men's club.  Members of the Bohemian Club withdrew to protest the activities of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, particularly the publishing of a poem by Ambrose Bierce about the assassination of Kentucky Governor William Goebel:

The bullet that pierced Goebel's breast
Can not be found in all the West;
Good reason, it is speeding here
To stretch McKinley on his bier.

Many people felt that Bierce and Hearst had called for the assassination of President William McKinley.  After McKinley was assassinated, a number of Bohemian Club members quit and formed The Family. 

The Family meets at Powell and Post and has The Family Farm in Woodside.  The Family has several charitable interests. 

Happy New Year #7 -- January 1, 2014

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.

 The drawing is from the 31-December-1913 San Francisco Call. It isby Hearst artist Nell Brinkley, who was famous for her "Brinkley Girls."  In 2009, we saw a Nell Brinkley exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum.  As we looked at a page from "Golden Eyes and her Hero, Bill, Over There," I said to my wife "You can say a lot of bad things about William Randolph Hearst, but he liked comics and illustrations." My wife said "And scantily clad blondes." In fact, my wife said the character looked like Marion Davies. I thought that relationship had started later, but actually they were already together when the stories were published.

My new mostly-movies blog launched today:  The Big V Riot Squad. 

Last night we went to a nice four-course dinner at the Moonraker in Rockaway Beach.  It was a four-course tasting menu.  We enjoyed it very much. 

Door #19 -- February 15, 2012

Architect Julia Morgan redesigned the doorway of the Hearst Building at Third and Market Streets in San Francisco. 

Door #10 -- May 20, 2011

A former loading dock door at Jessie and Annie Streets, behind the Hearst Building. I took the photo yesterday.

Radio Site #6 -- September 24, 2010

I took this photo of the Hearst Building at Third and Market Street on 18-December-2008. The former home of the San Francisco Examiner, this building also housed Hearst radio station KYA from 1934 to 1948.

Radio history from John Schneider's wonderful site Voices Out of the Fog: http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/schneider/articles.shtml

Cartoon Art Museum -- August 30, 2009

Yesterday we visited the Cartoon Art Museum (http://www.cartoonart.org/). The Disney fans in the family wanted to see an exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of Sleeping Beauty. The exhibit talked about how Walt Disney wanted the style Eyvind Earle's to carry through to the finished product.

"Monsters of Webcomics" had examples of several artists' work, and a set of questions that had been posed to each artist.

The third exhibit was "The Brinkley Girls," about Nell Brinkley's work. It included several pages from Examiner Sunday pages that featured stories or verses illustrated by Brinkley. As we looked at a page from "Golden Eyes and her Hero, Bill, Over There," I said to my wife "You can say a lot of bad things about William Randolph Hearst, but he liked comics and illustrations." My wife said "And scantily clad blondes." In fact, my wife said the character looked like Marion Davies. I thought that relationship had started later, but actually they were already together when the stories were published.