A Wild Flight of the Imagination -- August 18, 2012

We went downtown this morning.  After a visit to Macy's, we had lunch at the Irish Bank.  We went though the Crocker Galleria and the Palace Hotel, and then went on to the California Historical Society.  "A Wild Flight of the Imagination" is their exhibit for the 75th birthday of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

The exhibit gives credit to Irving Morrow for his vision of the bridge's potential beauty.  In part it does this by showing Joseph Strauss' original concept.

The first gallery shows the Golden Gate before the bridge was built.  I have seen many pictures of the Gate before the bridge, and I always find them jarring.  The second gallery described ferry service before the bridge.  It described the capacity problems as autos became more popular.  The next gallery talked about the effects of the Depression and the start of construction.  The main gallery had nice large drawings and paintings by John Eberson and the Morrows (Irving and Gertrude).  My wife was amazed at the plans for the Toll Plaza and triumphal colonnade.  I was amazed by the plan for the approach road that showed it passing through the rotunda of the Palace of Fine Arts. 

We stopped at the Metreon and had cupcakes, then headed home.  I miss taking the bus along the 280 Extension.  We went to mass at 5 o'clock.