San Francisco, Portrait Of A City: 1940-1960

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With a landmark around every corner and a picture perfect view atop every hill, San Francisco might be the world's most picturesque city. And yet, the Golden City is so much more than postcard vistas. It's a town alive with history, culture, and a palpable sense of grandeur best captured by a man known as San Francisco's Brassai. Walking the city's foggy streets, the fourth-generation San Franciscan captures the local's view in dramatic black-and-white photos— from fog-drenched mornings in North Beach and cable cars on Market Street to moody night shots of Coit Tower and the twists and turns of Lombard Street. In San Francisco, Portrait of a City 1940–1960, Fred Lyon captures the iconic landscapes and one-of-a-kind personalities that transformed the city by the bay into a legend. Lyon's anecdotes and personal remembrances, including sly portraits of San Francisco characters such as writer Herb Caen, painters Richard Diebenkorn and Jean Varda, and madame and former mayor of Sausalito Sally Stanford add an artist's first-hand view to this portrait of a classic American city.

Hardcover: 224 pages

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press (September 16, 2014)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1616892668

ISBN-13: 978-1616892661

Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.9 x 11.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #79,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #12 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Architectural > Cities #66 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Travel #94 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Individual Photographers

Delightful book. An authentic peek into early, post-war San Francisco. Fred Lyon really captures the soul of the city in this collection of photographs. The Golden Gate Bridge, Market Street, Chinatown, North Beach (the Italian Settlement), The Palace Hotel, The Barbary Coast, Fisherman's Wharf and that mysterious fog that can turn "The City" into a film noir set in a matter of minutes. All this and more are present in this well produced work. For those of us who grew up in or around this intriguing metropolis these images remind us of why we loved that town so much. I use the word "loved" because the city depicted between the covers of this book no longer exists. Not that San Francisco isn't still appealing - it is. You couldn't possibly destroy it's natural beauty. But it is no longer the blue-collar city it once was with a manufacturing and industrial base, maritime activity, breweries, coffee roasting, and most significantly, all those beautiful families and kids.Urban renewal, gentrification and high tech have changed San Francisco's face and flavor forever. The old ethnic neighborhoods with their unique sights and sounds exist as only shadows of their former selves. The remnants preserved for little more than the sake of tourism. I grew up across the bay from "The City" and when these pictures were taken a visit to San Francisco was a real event. We wore our Sunday best and our mother would not be caught dead without her finest hat and whitest gloves in full view. Window shopping in all those grand old department stores was an experience I've never forgotten (especially at Christmas). Children instinctively knew these trips demanded our absolute best behavior.

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