675 - Unit 1

The collection of objects that I would like to discuss and which I think may be of interest of others with a shared fascination of history are objects related to the Sutro area in San Francisco. My collection will consist of some photographs and possibly a few drawings and films. This site is located in an area known as Lands End on the western coastal side of San Francisco. The land is federally protected, but it used to have a large glass bathhouse that was built in 1894. The bathhouse burned down in 1966, but luckily instead of being developed as was the original plan, the federal government became the custodian of the land so that the ruins of the baths remain. I have long held a fascination for this site and have taken several photographs over the years. While none of the glass remains, the foundation and pools are still there, and is one is brave enough you can walk around the periphery of the large dark green pools.

People interested in ruins, San Francisco history, naturalists, etc, may find these objects of interest (hopefully!). My master's thesis was about the ruins of a 1923 movie set in the Guadalupe dunes on the central coast of California, so I've continued my fascination for these unique environments by trying to capture images of the Sutro Baths. I think some of the terms that could be used might include Adolf Sutro, Lands End, Cliff House (another institution created by Adolf Sutro, and still in business after more than 100 years), San Francisco & ruins. I might also include some postcards of the original baths that I have collected, as I think this will make for a more varied taxonomy.