Michael McLaughlin

Tomoki Chien

Broken glass fell from the Transamerica Pyramid and narrowly missed a group of people on the street outside the skyscraper Thursday night, according to a witness who said he just avoided injury.

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<p>Broken glass fell from the Transamerica Pyramid and narrowly missed a group of people on the street outside the skyscraper Thursday night, according to a witness who said he just avoided injury.</p>

More than 20 pieces of glass — the &#8220;size of business cards&#8221; — smashed as they hit the ground &#8220;like meteor strikes&#8221; around 6:45 p.m., according to Sean, a 25-year-old tech developer who declined to give his full name after witnessing the incident on the Washington Street side of the tower.

<p>More than 20 pieces of glass — the "size of business cards" — smashed as they hit the ground "like meteor strikes" around 6:45 p.m., according to Sean, a 25-year-old tech developer who declined to give his full name after witnessing the incident on the Washington Street side of the tower.</p>

<p>More than 20 pieces of glass — the &#8220;size of business cards&#8221; — smashed as they hit the ground &#8220;like meteor strikes&#8221; around 6:45 p.m., according to Sean, a 25-year-old tech developer who declined to give his full name after witnessing the incident on the Washington Street side of the tower.</p>

&#8220;These things were falling fast. It felt like they were coming from a higher floor,&#8221; said Sean, adding that the noise reminded him of icicles cracking in Canada, where he&#8217;s from.

<p>"These things were falling fast. It felt like they were coming from a higher floor," said Sean, adding that the noise reminded him of icicles cracking in Canada, where he's from.</p>

<p>&#8220;These things were falling fast. It felt like they were coming from a higher floor,&#8221; said Sean, adding that the noise reminded him of icicles cracking in Canada, where he&#8217;s from.</p>

&#8220;This was loud, really loud. I look up, and glass was literally falling from the top of the pyramid,&#8221; he told The Standard by phone Friday.

<p>"This was loud, really loud. I look up, and glass was literally falling from the top of the pyramid," he told The Standard by phone Friday.</p>

<p>&#8220;This was loud, really loud. I look up, and glass was literally falling from the top of the pyramid,&#8221; he told The Standard by phone Friday.</p>

The tower has 48 floors; a pane of glass on the 35th floor broke while it was being cleaned, a Department of Building Inspection official said by email after an inspector visited the tower on Friday. DBI ordered the property owner to secure the opening and install new glass as soon as possible.

<p>The tower has 48 floors; a pane of glass on the 35th floor broke while it was being cleaned, a Department of Building Inspection official said by email after an inspector visited the tower on Friday. DBI ordered the property owner to secure the opening and install new glass as soon as possible.</p>

A window broke while being cleaned at the Transamerica Pyramid on September 26, 2024, showering broken glass to the ground.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/600-montgomery2-9-27-24.jpg?w=768" alt="A room with a broken window covered in red &quot;DANGER&quot; tape, showing a high-altitude cityscape and waterfront outside." class="wp-image-316358"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Department of Building Inspection ordered the Transamerica Pyramid owner to replace the broken window right away.</figcaption></figure>


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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/600-montgomery2-9-27-24.jpg?w=768" alt="A room with a broken window covered in red &quot;DANGER&quot; tape, showing a high-altitude cityscape and waterfront outside." class="wp-image-316358"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Department of Building Inspection ordered the Transamerica Pyramid owner to replace the broken window right away.</figcaption></figure>

&#8220;A window pane at the Transamerica Pyramid was damaged during a routine cleaning last night,&#8221; a Transamerica spokesperson said Friday in an email. &#8220;We&#8217;re thankful that nobody was injured and to the team on-site who responded quickly.&#8221;

<p>"A window pane at the Transamerica Pyramid was damaged during a routine cleaning last night," a Transamerica spokesperson said Friday in an email. "We're thankful that nobody was injured and to the team on-site who responded quickly."</p>

<p>&#8220;A window pane at the Transamerica Pyramid was damaged during a routine cleaning last night,&#8221; a Transamerica spokesperson said Friday in an email. &#8220;We&#8217;re thankful that nobody was injured and to the team on-site who responded quickly.&#8221;</p>

The Transamerica Pyramid has always been an icon. Now it’s an art installation

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Two women and a man were seated outside the building&#8217;s entrance when the glass fell, Sean said.

<p>Two women and a man were seated outside the building's entrance when the glass fell, Sean said.</p>

<p>Two women and a man were seated outside the building&#8217;s entrance when the glass fell, Sean said.</p>

&#8220;They were literally in the direct line where the glass was falling. &#8230; I heard them screaming. I ran back,&#8221; he said. &#8220;These were significant chunks.&#8221;

<p>"They were literally in the direct line where the glass was falling. ... I heard them screaming. I ran back," he said. "These were significant chunks."</p>

<p>&#8220;They were literally in the direct line where the glass was falling. &#8230; I heard them screaming. I ran back,&#8221; he said. &#8220;These were significant chunks.&#8221;</p>

Sean said he called 911 and told receptionists in the Transamerica lobby what had happened.

<p>Sean said he called 911 and told receptionists in the Transamerica lobby what had happened.</p>

&#8220;I was a little scared to exit the lobby, because I didn&#8217;t want to get hit,&#8221; he said.

<p>"I was a little scared to exit the lobby, because I didn't want to get hit," he said.</p>

<p>&#8220;I was a little scared to exit the lobby, because I didn&#8217;t want to get hit,&#8221; he said.</p>

The walkway along Washington Street was cordoned off with red tape Thursday evening, Sean said.

<p>The walkway along Washington Street was cordoned off with red tape Thursday evening, Sean said.</p>

"Shvo must go" banner flown above Transamerica Pyramid Thursday morning.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/7o5a4139.jpg?w=2500" alt="A banner towed by an aircraft reads, &quot;SHVO MUST GO: LAWSUITS CLAIM FRAUD,&quot; against a clear blue sky, with a corner of a modern, windowed building visible on the right." class="wp-image-310983"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A banner decrying the property developer is flown above Transamerica Pyramid this month.</figcaption></figure>


Developer Michael Shvo recently completed a<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/12/shvo-must-go-banner-flown-above-transamerica-pyramid/"> $450 million renovation of the landmark property</a>, which includes a new seating garden and refurbished lobby. On Sept. 12, an airplane flying over the tower trolled the reopening party, trailing a banner that read “Shvo must go: Lawsuits claim fraud.” The stunt was the latest installment in an <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/26/core-club-michael-shvo-transamerica-pyramid-lawsuit/">ugly legal fight</a> that continues to play out in the courts and headlines between Shvo and CORE: Holdings, the company behind an exclusive members club slated to be one of the Pyramid’s major tenants.

&#8216;Shvo must go&#8217; banner flown above Transamerica, trolling reopening party

Transamerica Pyramid owner sued for $600M over ultra-luxe club

<p>Developer Michael Shvo recently completed a<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/12/shvo-must-go-banner-flown-above-transamerica-pyramid/"> $450 million renovation of the landmark property</a>, which includes a new seating garden and refurbished lobby. On Sept. 12, an airplane flying over the tower trolled the reopening party, trailing a banner that read “Shvo must go: Lawsuits claim fraud.” The stunt was the latest installment in an <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/26/core-club-michael-shvo-transamerica-pyramid-lawsuit/">ugly legal fight</a> that continues to play out in the courts and headlines between Shvo and CORE: Holdings, the company behind an exclusive members club slated to be one of the Pyramid’s major tenants.</p>

This is the second recent incident involving falling glass downtown. In early September, a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/06/salesforce-east-window-pane-falls/">pane of glass fell from the roof</a> of the 30-story Salesforce East tower during replacement work.

Glass fell from skyscraper&#8217;s roof during construction work, smashing into Millennium Tower

<p>This is the second recent incident involving falling glass downtown. In early September, a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/06/salesforce-east-window-pane-falls/">pane of glass fell from the roof</a> of the 30-story Salesforce East tower during replacement work.</p>

Glass falls from Transamerica Pyramid ‘like meteor strikes’

Christina Campodonico

In Greek lore, water nymphs or “naiads” presided over rivers, lakes and streams. And local history tells us that American settlers may have named Naiad Cove—the small bay at the foot of Sutro Baths’ ruins—after these mythical Greek figures <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/vestiges-sutro-baths.htm">because a spring-fed creek flows into the sea there</a>.&nbsp;

<p>In Greek lore, water nymphs or “naiads” presided over rivers, lakes and streams. And local history tells us that American settlers may have named Naiad Cove—the small bay at the foot of Sutro Baths’ ruins—after these mythical Greek figures <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/vestiges-sutro-baths.htm">because a spring-fed creek flows into the sea there</a>.&nbsp;</p>

A new exhibit now showing at the nearby Museum at The Cliff (aka the Cliff House) also takes its name from the cove where the baths’ vestiges still rest—and inspiration from Greek mythology.&nbsp;

<p>A new exhibit now showing at the nearby Museum at The Cliff (aka the Cliff House) also takes its name from the cove where the baths’ vestiges still rest—and inspiration from Greek mythology.&nbsp;</p>

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 21: The Cliff House is seen as the sun sets at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. It was recently announced that the popular restaurant and bar is closing permanently. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE6-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63366"/><figcaption>The historic Cliff House at sunset at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. | Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>


Curated by Nicole Meldahl, executive director of the nonprofit <a href="https://www.outsidelands.org/">Western Neighborhoods Project</a>, and John Lindsey, director of <a href="https://thegreathighway.com/">The Great Highway gallery</a>—in partnership with ACT Art Conservation and with support from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Park Archives and Records Center and the Global Museum at SF State—<a href="https://events.sfstandard.com/event/the-museum-at-the-cliff"><em>Naiad Cove</em></a> explores the history of three landmarks that defined the western edge of Lands End for decades: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/sutro-baths.htm">Sutro Baths</a>, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/cliff-house.htm">the Cliff House</a> and <a href="https://www.outsidelands.org/playland.php">Playland-at-the-Beach</a>.&nbsp;

<p>Curated by Nicole Meldahl, executive director of the nonprofit <a href="https://www.outsidelands.org/">Western Neighborhoods Project</a>, and John Lindsey, director of <a href="https://thegreathighway.com/">The Great Highway gallery</a>—in partnership with ACT Art Conservation and with support from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Park Archives and Records Center and the Global Museum at SF State—<a href="https://events.sfstandard.com/event/the-museum-at-the-cliff"><em>Naiad Cove</em></a> explores the history of three landmarks that defined the western edge of Lands End for decades: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/sutro-baths.htm">Sutro Baths</a>, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/cliff-house.htm">the Cliff House</a> and <a href="https://www.outsidelands.org/playland.php">Playland-at-the-Beach</a>.&nbsp;</p>

The exhibit features photographic prints and reproductions as well as dozens of artifacts that the Western Neighborhoods Project <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Nonprofit-buys-rare-Cliff-House-artifacts-in-16024153.php">rescued for the sake of historic preservation at auction</a> from the Cliff House restaurant’s <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Cliff-House-s-sign-removal-and-failed-15838606.php">closure at the end of 2020</a>. The most notable pieces in the exhibition include an early 20th-century wooden bear sculpture from the Black Forest region of Germany that used to greet visitors to the Cliff House, the iconic Sheriff C.U. Soon cowboy from Playland, hand-painted signs by artist Reino Niemela from the beloved amusement park, and a pair of “porcelain ladies,” once believed to be Grecian “muses,” that used to hang in the Sutro Baths.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>The exhibit features photographic prints and reproductions as well as dozens of artifacts that the Western Neighborhoods Project <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Nonprofit-buys-rare-Cliff-House-artifacts-in-16024153.php">rescued for the sake of historic preservation at auction</a> from the Cliff House restaurant’s <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Cliff-House-s-sign-removal-and-failed-15838606.php">closure at the end of 2020</a>. The most notable pieces in the exhibition include an early 20th-century wooden bear sculpture from the Black Forest region of Germany that used to greet visitors to the Cliff House, the iconic Sheriff C.U. Soon cowboy from Playland, hand-painted signs by artist Reino Niemela from the beloved amusement park, and a pair of “porcelain ladies,” once believed to be Grecian “muses,” that used to hang in the Sutro Baths.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE4-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63360"/><figcaption>Hand-painted signs by artist Reino Niemela and a partial carousel horse attributed to Playland-at-the-Beach acquired by The Western Neighborhoods Project at the Cliff House auction on display in the exhibit &#8216;Naiad Cove&#8217; on July 4, 2022. | Nicole Meldahl/Courtesy Western Neighborhoods Project </figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE4-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63360"/><figcaption>Hand-painted signs by artist Reino Niemela and a partial carousel horse attributed to Playland-at-the-Beach acquired by The Western Neighborhoods Project at the Cliff House auction on display in the exhibit 'Naiad Cove' on July 4, 2022. | Nicole Meldahl/Courtesy Western Neighborhoods Project </figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE4-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63360"/><figcaption>Hand-painted signs by artist Reino Niemela and a partial carousel horse attributed to Playland-at-the-Beach acquired by The Western Neighborhoods Project at the Cliff House auction on display in the exhibit &#8216;Naiad Cove&#8217; on July 4, 2022. | Nicole Meldahl/Courtesy Western Neighborhoods Project </figcaption></figure>

And like mythology itself, the line between history and legend can be blurry at <em>Naiad Cove</em>. But that’s part of the appeal of the Cliff House and its environs—mystery and intrigue are just about everywhere you look.&nbsp;

<p>And like mythology itself, the line between history and legend can be blurry at <em>Naiad Cove</em>. But that’s part of the appeal of the Cliff House and its environs—mystery and intrigue are just about everywhere you look.&nbsp;</p>

Take for example a carousel horse on display, which is “attributed” to Playland-at-the-Beach.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>Take for example a carousel horse on display, which is “attributed” to Playland-at-the-Beach.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

“We haven&#8217;t confirmed that, nor can we deny it,” Meldahl said of the origins of the horse. All that it&#8217;s known for certain is that the horse was donated to the Hountalas—the family that operated the Cliff House property from the 1970s to the restaurant’s bitter end.<em> </em>“But there&#8217;s no paperwork. There&#8217;s no documented provenance. … So research is ongoing…”

<p>“We haven't confirmed that, nor can we deny it,” Meldahl said of the origins of the horse. All that it's known for certain is that the horse was donated to the Hountalas—the family that operated the Cliff House property from the 1970s to the restaurant’s bitter end.<em> </em>“But there's no paperwork. There's no documented provenance. … So research is ongoing…”</p>

<p>“We haven&#8217;t confirmed that, nor can we deny it,” Meldahl said of the origins of the horse. All that it&#8217;s known for certain is that the horse was donated to the Hountalas—the family that operated the Cliff House property from the 1970s to the restaurant’s bitter end.<em> </em>“But there&#8217;s no paperwork. There&#8217;s no documented provenance. … So research is ongoing…”</p>

But in Meldahl’s view, the tales surrounding an object can be just as valuable as its actual history.

<p>But in Meldahl’s view, the tales surrounding an object can be just as valuable as its actual history.</p>

“We&#8217;re OK with telling you what the stories are that are connected to this piece because we think that&#8217;s just as important as the things we can prove,” Meldahl said. “The things that people have come to feel about these pieces, factually correct or not, are part of its history now.<em>”&nbsp;</em>

<p>“We're OK with telling you what the stories are that are connected to this piece because we think that's just as important as the things we can prove,” Meldahl said. “The things that people have come to feel about these pieces, factually correct or not, are part of its history now.<em>”&nbsp;</em></p>

<p>“We&#8217;re OK with telling you what the stories are that are connected to this piece because we think that&#8217;s just as important as the things we can prove,” Meldahl said. “The things that people have come to feel about these pieces, factually correct or not, are part of its history now.<em>”&nbsp;</em></p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE2-2500x1597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63378"/><figcaption>Visitors of Playland walking The Great Highway in front of the Pie Shop. c. 1970 | Courtesy of Dennis O&#8217;Rorke</figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE2-2500x1597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63378"/><figcaption>Visitors of Playland walking The Great Highway in front of the Pie Shop. c. 1970 | Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE2-2500x1597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63378"/><figcaption>Visitors of Playland walking The Great Highway in front of the Pie Shop. c. 1970 | Courtesy of Dennis O&#8217;Rorke</figcaption></figure>

Even gun-toting Sheriff C.U. Soon (which undergoes conservation treatments every Saturday for the public to view) and the so-called porcelain “muses” have cloudy histories. For instance, Meldahl has a theory that the sheriff, once perched on the roof of a building at Playland and visible from the Great Highway, was created by Disneyland and Santa Cruz Boardwalk ride designer Laurence “Laurie” N. Hollings, because the cowboy bears similarities to drawings of characters Hollings did for <a href="https://www.metrosiliconvalley.com/forgotten-frontier/">San Jose’s defunct Frontier Village</a>. Hollings was living in the Bay Area at the time and had a history of working for the Whitney family, who once owned Playland.&nbsp;

<p>Even gun-toting Sheriff C.U. Soon (which undergoes conservation treatments every Saturday for the public to view) and the so-called porcelain “muses” have cloudy histories. For instance, Meldahl has a theory that the sheriff, once perched on the roof of a building at Playland and visible from the Great Highway, was created by Disneyland and Santa Cruz Boardwalk ride designer Laurence “Laurie” N. Hollings, because the cowboy bears similarities to drawings of characters Hollings did for <a href="https://www.metrosiliconvalley.com/forgotten-frontier/">San Jose’s defunct Frontier Village</a>. Hollings was living in the Bay Area at the time and had a history of working for the Whitney family, who once owned Playland.&nbsp;</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE-2500x1597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63381"/><figcaption>Playland&#8217;s demolished Fun House in 1972. | Courtesy of Dennis O&#8217;Rorke</figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE-2500x1597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63381"/><figcaption>Playland's demolished Fun House in 1972. | Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE-2500x1597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63381"/><figcaption>Playland&#8217;s demolished Fun House in 1972. | Courtesy of Dennis O&#8217;Rorke</figcaption></figure>

“So I can&#8217;t prove it, but it <em>feels</em> right,” Meldahl said. “I&#8217;m hoping, pardon the pun, that one day we&#8217;ll have the smoking gun that tells us, ‘Yes, this truly is correct.’” <em>&nbsp;</em>

<p>“So I can't prove it, but it <em>feels</em> right,” Meldahl said. “I'm hoping, pardon the pun, that one day we'll have the smoking gun that tells us, ‘Yes, this truly is correct.’” <em>&nbsp;</em></p>

<p>“So I can&#8217;t prove it, but it <em>feels</em> right,” Meldahl said. “I&#8217;m hoping, pardon the pun, that one day we&#8217;ll have the smoking gun that tells us, ‘Yes, this truly is correct.’” <em>&nbsp;</em></p>

As for the “muses,” they may actually be well-dressed Grecian ladies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>As for the “muses,” they may actually be well-dressed Grecian ladies.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

“We were working under the assumption that they were muses,” Meldahl said. “But the more I looked into it, the more I realized that if it&#8217;s the nine muses from Greek mythology, they would each have some signifier that told you which muse they were, like a harp.”

<p>“We were working under the assumption that they were muses,” Meldahl said. “But the more I looked into it, the more I realized that if it's the nine muses from Greek mythology, they would each have some signifier that told you which muse they were, like a harp.”</p>

<p>“We were working under the assumption that they were muses,” Meldahl said. “But the more I looked into it, the more I realized that if it&#8217;s the nine muses from Greek mythology, they would each have some signifier that told you which muse they were, like a harp.”</p>

They also may not be as old as first suspected, nor is it likely that they were commissioned for Adolph Sutro, as previously thought, Meldahl explained.&nbsp;

<p>They also may not be as old as first suspected, nor is it likely that they were commissioned for Adolph Sutro, as previously thought, Meldahl explained.&nbsp;</p>

“The story goes they were commissioned in the 1890s for <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/adolph-sutro.htm">Adolph Sutro</a> and his baths,” Meldahl recounted. “That seems unlikely. Adolph Sutro tended to buy things at auction or out of a catalog. Like all of<em> </em><a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/blogs/mysterious-statues-at-lands-end-part-1.htm">the beautiful Greek statuary that used to be up at Sutro Heights</a>—literally all out of a catalog.”&nbsp;

<p>“The story goes they were commissioned in the 1890s for <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/adolph-sutro.htm">Adolph Sutro</a> and his baths,” Meldahl recounted. “That seems unlikely. Adolph Sutro tended to buy things at auction or out of a catalog. Like all of<em> </em><a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/blogs/mysterious-statues-at-lands-end-part-1.htm">the beautiful Greek statuary that used to be up at Sutro Heights</a>—literally all out of a catalog.”&nbsp;</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE5-1-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63369"/><figcaption>A view down from bleachers of the small tanks and slides at Sutro Baths with a worker in a boat (far right) painting the main tank wall. | OpenSF History Archive/Courtesy of Western Neighborhoods Project</figcaption></figure>


Meldahl says that, according to the Western Neighborhoods Project’s conservator, the porcelain ladies’ materials and how they were made do line up with the 1890s timeline, but the first photos of the Grecian women in the baths date back to the 1940s.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>Meldahl says that, according to the Western Neighborhoods Project’s conservator, the porcelain ladies’ materials and how they were made do line up with the 1890s timeline, but the first photos of the Grecian women in the baths date back to the 1940s.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

“So in terms of verifiable history, we can only really place them there that long ago,” she said.

<p>“So in terms of verifiable history, we can only really place them there that long ago,” she said.</p>

But what is history without a little imagination? To fill in the gaps lost to time, <em>Naiad Cove</em> features immersive audio design by <a href="http://rothaudiodesign.com/">Andrew Roth</a>, which is meant to simulate the sounds of swimmers splashing in Sutro Baths, diners clinking cutlery during the Cliff House’s heyday and people squealing on roller coasters at Playland. You can even take a “ride” on Playland’s famed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoeCAl9RO7c">Diving Bell</a> in the freezer of the Cliff House’s kitchen.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>But what is history without a little imagination? To fill in the gaps lost to time, <em>Naiad Cove</em> features immersive audio design by <a href="http://rothaudiodesign.com/">Andrew Roth</a>, which is meant to simulate the sounds of swimmers splashing in Sutro Baths, diners clinking cutlery during the Cliff House’s heyday and people squealing on roller coasters at Playland. You can even take a “ride” on Playland’s famed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoeCAl9RO7c">Diving Bell</a> in the freezer of the Cliff House’s kitchen.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<div class="wp-block-columns"><div class="wp-block-column"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_DIPTYQUE2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63390" width="317" height="318"/><figcaption>A silver gelatin print by photographer Chrissy Huhn of Sea Cliff, California in 2014. | Courtesy of John Lindsey/The Great Highway gallery</figcaption></figure></div><div class="wp-block-column"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_DIPTYQUE1-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63396"/><figcaption> An untitled metallic c-print by photographer Suzette Lee. | Courtesy of John Lindsey/The Great Highway gallery </figcaption></figure></div></div>

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<div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:100%"><div class="wp-block-columns"><div class="wp-block-column"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_DIPTYQUE2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63390" width="317" height="318"/><figcaption>A silver gelatin print by photographer Chrissy Huhn of Sea Cliff, California in 2014. | Courtesy of John Lindsey/The Great Highway gallery</figcaption></figure></div><div class="wp-block-column"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_DIPTYQUE1-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63396"/><figcaption> An untitled metallic c-print by photographer Suzette Lee. | Courtesy of John Lindsey/The Great Highway gallery </figcaption></figure></div></div></div>

<div class="wp-block-columns"><div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:100%"><div class="wp-block-columns"><div class="wp-block-column"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_DIPTYQUE2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63390" width="317" height="318"/><figcaption>A silver gelatin print by photographer Chrissy Huhn of Sea Cliff, California in 2014. | Courtesy of John Lindsey/The Great Highway gallery</figcaption></figure></div><div class="wp-block-column"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_DIPTYQUE1-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63396"/><figcaption> An untitled metallic c-print by photographer Suzette Lee. | Courtesy of John Lindsey/The Great Highway gallery </figcaption></figure></div></div></div></div>

You’re also invited to take a seat at the Cliff House bar and imagine what it would have been like to be a fine lady lunching at the counter during the 1910s, a sad mourner dining during the 1920s, a young woman celebrating her college graduation in the 1940s, a site-seeing tourist in 1949, or a soldier enjoying a homecoming meal after returning from World War II. A queue of Cliff House menus, period-style place settings, an undone napkin, and a glass with lipstick on the cusp help set the scenes. There’s even a Cliff House maître d&#8217; bib autographed by actor Cary Grant on view.&nbsp;

<p>You’re also invited to take a seat at the Cliff House bar and imagine what it would have been like to be a fine lady lunching at the counter during the 1910s, a sad mourner dining during the 1920s, a young woman celebrating her college graduation in the 1940s, a site-seeing tourist in 1949, or a soldier enjoying a homecoming meal after returning from World War II. A queue of Cliff House menus, period-style place settings, an undone napkin, and a glass with lipstick on the cusp help set the scenes. There’s even a Cliff House maître d' bib autographed by actor Cary Grant on view.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You’re also invited to take a seat at the Cliff House bar and imagine what it would have been like to be a fine lady lunching at the counter during the 1910s, a sad mourner dining during the 1920s, a young woman celebrating her college graduation in the 1940s, a site-seeing tourist in 1949, or a soldier enjoying a homecoming meal after returning from World War II. A queue of Cliff House menus, period-style place settings, an undone napkin, and a glass with lipstick on the cusp help set the scenes. There’s even a Cliff House maître d&#8217; bib autographed by actor Cary Grant on view.&nbsp;</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE7_jpeg.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-63372"/><figcaption>A Cliff House menu from the 1940s. | Courtesy of Western Neighborhoods Project</figcaption></figure>


“This experience has made me realize how much historians and bartenders have in common,” Meldahl said with a chuckle. She typically posts up at the bar on the weekends to interact with visitors. “People will walk up, everyone tries to order a drink… But then they start telling us their stories and… that&#8217;s what people do in bars. … So because it&#8217;s been laid out so intentionally like this, people are treating it in a way that they would have at the [Cliff House] restaurant.”

<p>“This experience has made me realize how much historians and bartenders have in common,” Meldahl said with a chuckle. She typically posts up at the bar on the weekends to interact with visitors. “People will walk up, everyone tries to order a drink… But then they start telling us their stories and… that's what people do in bars. … So because it's been laid out so intentionally like this, people are treating it in a way that they would have at the [Cliff House] restaurant.”</p>

<p>“This experience has made me realize how much historians and bartenders have in common,” Meldahl said with a chuckle. She typically posts up at the bar on the weekends to interact with visitors. “People will walk up, everyone tries to order a drink… But then they start telling us their stories and… that&#8217;s what people do in bars. … So because it&#8217;s been laid out so intentionally like this, people are treating it in a way that they would have at the [Cliff House] restaurant.”</p>

There are also plenty of interactive activities for kids and kids-at-heart, including spaces where you can flip through books of historical photos, recreate a Cliff House meal with play food, write a postcard to the Western Neighborhoods Project or create art inspired by the surrounding landscape. A selection of contemporary photographs of the Lands End area, curated by Lindsey, is also on display as well as an illuminated work by <a href="https://new.jimcampbell.tv/">the studio of Jim Campbell</a> (the artist behind <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Images-atop-Salesforce-Tower-changing-soon-14106740.php">the spectacular LED display atop the Salesforce Tower</a>).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>There are also plenty of interactive activities for kids and kids-at-heart, including spaces where you can flip through books of historical photos, recreate a Cliff House meal with play food, write a postcard to the Western Neighborhoods Project or create art inspired by the surrounding landscape. A selection of contemporary photographs of the Lands End area, curated by Lindsey, is also on display as well as an illuminated work by <a href="https://new.jimcampbell.tv/">the studio of Jim Campbell</a> (the artist behind <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Images-atop-Salesforce-Tower-changing-soon-14106740.php">the spectacular LED display atop the Salesforce Tower</a>).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

In the end, Meldahl hopes that the “flexible historical exhibition,” as she describes it, inspires visitors to have conversations with the past and fun with history.&nbsp;

<p>In the end, Meldahl hopes that the “flexible historical exhibition,” as she describes it, inspires visitors to have conversations with the past and fun with history.&nbsp;</p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE3-1-2172x2500.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63375"/><figcaption>Visitors taking in the Cliff House’s iconic view of Ocean Beach at &#8216;Naiad Cove&#8217; on opening weekend on July 3, 2022. Austin Leong’s piece is visible to the right of the seated couple. | Nicole Meldahl/Courtesy of Western Neighborhoods Project </figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE3-1-2172x2500.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63375"/><figcaption>Visitors taking in the Cliff House’s iconic view of Ocean Beach at 'Naiad Cove' on opening weekend on July 3, 2022. Austin Leong’s piece is visible to the right of the seated couple. | Nicole Meldahl/Courtesy of Western Neighborhoods Project </figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NaiadCove_INLINE3-1-2172x2500.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-63375"/><figcaption>Visitors taking in the Cliff House’s iconic view of Ocean Beach at &#8216;Naiad Cove&#8217; on opening weekend on July 3, 2022. Austin Leong’s piece is visible to the right of the seated couple. | Nicole Meldahl/Courtesy of Western Neighborhoods Project </figcaption></figure>

And while the stories underlying the Cliff House, Sutro Baths and Playland’s artifacts may change with time and further research, what hasn’t changed as much is the rugged coastal land that sits beneath their historic imprints.&nbsp;

<p>And while the stories underlying the Cliff House, Sutro Baths and Playland’s artifacts may change with time and further research, what hasn’t changed as much is the rugged coastal land that sits beneath their historic imprints.&nbsp;</p>

“When you look at the whole history of Lands End… it really puts you in your place,” Meldahl said, waxing philosophically. “We&#8217;re temporary. We&#8217;re here for a blip, but the land and this special cove, this Naiad Cove, it will outlast us all.<em> </em>… I like to say that the naiads are still very much here.”   

<p>“When you look at the whole history of Lands End… it really puts you in your place,” Meldahl said, waxing philosophically. “We're temporary. We're here for a blip, but the land and this special cove, this Naiad Cove, it will outlast us all.<em> </em>… I like to say that the naiads are still very much here.”   </p>

<p>“When you look at the whole history of Lands End… it really puts you in your place,” Meldahl said, waxing philosophically. “We&#8217;re temporary. We&#8217;re here for a blip, but the land and this special cove, this Naiad Cove, it will outlast us all.<em> </em>… I like to say that the naiads are still very much here.”   </p>

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<a href="https://events.sfstandard.com/event/the-museum-at-the-cliff"><em>The Museum at The Cliff’s ‘Naiad Cove’</em></a><em> is on view Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 21. Reserve a timed ticket online at </em><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-351326465917"><em>eventbrite.com</em></a><em>. Admission is free.</em>

<p><a href="https://events.sfstandard.com/event/the-museum-at-the-cliff"><em>The Museum at The Cliff’s ‘Naiad Cove’</em></a><em> is on view Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 21. Reserve a timed ticket online at </em><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-museum-at-the-cliff-tickets-351326465917"><em>eventbrite.com</em></a><em>. Admission is free.</em></p>

The mystery of history: The museum at The Cliff’s ‘Naiad Cove’ looks back on the lost & imagined past of Lands End

The Standard Staff

Large-scale plywood murals from boarded up storefronts are on display during a media preview day of “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective" at Pier 70's historic Building 12 in San Francisco on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. | Ekevara Kitpowsong

Shannon Riley Executive Director and co-founder of Paint the Void, poses for a portrait in front of a mural created by Nora Bruhn, at “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective. | Ekevara Kitpowsong

"Thank you" mural by Crystal Vielula is on display during a media preview day of “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective." | Ekevara Kitpowsong

Meredith Winner, a co-founder and managing director of Paint the Void and a co-founder, COO of Building 180, poses for a portrait at “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective." | Ekevara Kitpowsong

Artist Jen Bloomer poses for a portrait with her "How We Care Shapes Who We Are" mural. | Ekevara Kitpowsong

A mural by Jordan Herren is on display at “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective." | Ekevara Kitpowsong

Jose Jimenez a worker of Floor Seal, sands the floor with a machine, in front of "Essential" mural by Mel Waters at “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective." | Ekevara Kitpowsong

A mural created by Matley Hurd is on display at “The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective." | Ekevara Kitpowsong

Large-scale plywood murals from boarded up storefronts on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. | Ekevara Kitpowsong

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Since the start of the pandemic, brilliant murals on boarded-up storefronts across San Francisco have served as both stark reminders of the pandemic’s economic toll on local businesses and colorful signs of hope.

<p>Since the start of the pandemic, brilliant murals on boarded-up storefronts across San Francisco have served as both stark reminders of the pandemic’s economic toll on local businesses and colorful signs of hope.</p>

Now 49 of those murals—many commissioned by the visual arts nonprofit Paint the Void and painted by local artists to beautify largely shuttered commercial corridors during the pandemic—will be on display as part of a retrospective by the organization, called “The City Canvas,” opening this weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>Now 49 of those murals—many commissioned by the visual arts nonprofit Paint the Void and painted by local artists to beautify largely shuttered commercial corridors during the pandemic—will be on display as part of a retrospective by the organization, called “The City Canvas,” opening this weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Billed as the “nation’s largest exhibit of pandemic mural art,” the exhibit at Pier 70’s Building 12 looks back on this array of public art created between San Francisco’s initial lockdown in March 2020 and the subsequent ebbs and flows of the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two years.&nbsp;

<p>Billed as the “nation’s largest exhibit of pandemic mural art,” the exhibit at Pier 70’s Building 12 looks back on this array of public art created between San Francisco’s initial lockdown in March 2020 and the subsequent ebbs and flows of the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two years.&nbsp;</p>

The exhibition features massive artworks ranging in size from four to 43 feet long and towering as tall as 11.5 feet. Pier 70’s football field-size Building 12, which once served as a World War II ship-building site, provides an expansive and industrial-scale backdrop for the works, which lean and hang upon the building’s gray columns like paintings in a giant’s warehouse-style live/work loft.

<p>The exhibition features massive artworks ranging in size from four to 43 feet long and towering as tall as 11.5 feet. Pier 70’s football field-size Building 12, which once served as a World War II ship-building site, provides an expansive and industrial-scale backdrop for the works, which lean and hang upon the building’s gray columns like paintings in a giant’s warehouse-style live/work loft.</p>

“I really hope that this exhibition provides people both an opportunity to celebrate sort of where we are,” says exhibit curator Heather Whitmore Jain. “And then I also really want this to be an opportunity for people to come and reflect and remember.” (CC)

<p>“I really hope that this exhibition provides people both an opportunity to celebrate sort of where we are,” says exhibit curator Heather Whitmore Jain. “And then I also really want this to be an opportunity for people to come and reflect and remember.” (CC)</p>

<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-city-canvas-a-paint-the-void-retrospective-tickets-221710240297?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The City Canvas:<br>A Paint the Void Retrospective</a>


<h4 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-city-canvas-a-paint-the-void-retrospective-tickets-221710240297?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The City Canvas:<br>A Paint the Void Retrospective</a></h4>


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<h4 class="has-text-align-center"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-city-canvas-a-paint-the-void-retrospective-tickets-221710240297?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The City Canvas:<br>A Paint the Void Retrospective</a></h4>

<em>Pier 70, 588 22nd St</em>.<br><em>Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 22-23&nbsp;</em>

<p class="has-text-align-center"><em>Pier 70, 588 22nd St</em>.<br><em>Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 22-23&nbsp;</em></p>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/012_S1_02094.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-27251"/><figcaption>The FOG Design + Art fair returns to the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion. | Courtesy Photo</figcaption></figure>


<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/o/knight-vision-productions-llc-37952016393">FOG Design + Art</a>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fog-design-art"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/o/knight-vision-productions-llc-37952016393">FOG Design + Art</a></h4>


<h4 id="h-fog-design-art"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/o/knight-vision-productions-llc-37952016393">FOG Design + Art</a></h4>

<em>Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd.</em><br><em>Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 20-23</em>

<p><em>Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd.</em><br><em>Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 20-23</em></p>

Returning to the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion for its eighth iteration (and first since taking 2021 off), FOG Fair boasts a slate of 45 fine art and design galleries from around the world, many local to the Bay Area. The fair also hosts a broad lineup of events, including a performance by photographer Martine Gutierrez, a panel discussion examining the influence of NFTs on visual art, and a screening of the documentary “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” about the effects of gentrification in Berkeley through the story of artist and activist Mildred Howard. (MB)

<p>Returning to the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion for its eighth iteration (and first since taking 2021 off), FOG Fair boasts a slate of 45 fine art and design galleries from around the world, many local to the Bay Area. The fair also hosts a broad lineup of events, including a performance by photographer Martine Gutierrez, a panel discussion examining the influence of NFTs on visual art, and a screening of the documentary “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” about the effects of gentrification in Berkeley through the story of artist and activist Mildred Howard. (MB)</p>

<a href="https://www.dusermania.com/">Duser</a>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.dusermania.com/">Duser</a></h4>


<h4><a href="https://www.dusermania.com/">Duser</a></h4>

<em>Madrone Art Bar, 500 Divisadero Blvd.</em><br><em>Thursday, Jan. 20 Opening Night</em>

<p><em>Madrone Art Bar, 500 Divisadero Blvd.</em><br><em>Thursday, Jan. 20 Opening Night</em></p>

This Thursday, San Francisco visual artist Duser is bringing his latest series of psychedelic paintings to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/madroneartbar/">this NoPa watering hole</a>. The series is entitled “Movements” and finds Duser departing from depictions of human and animal figures—opting instead for abstract forms that recall the works of Sadamitsu “S. Neil” Fujita, who many will recognize by the cover art of Dave Brubeck’s cool jazz masterpiece, <em>Time Out</em>. (HL)

<p>This Thursday, San Francisco visual artist Duser is bringing his latest series of psychedelic paintings to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/madroneartbar/">this NoPa watering hole</a>. The series is entitled “Movements” and finds Duser departing from depictions of human and animal figures—opting instead for abstract forms that recall the works of Sadamitsu “S. Neil” Fujita, who many will recognize by the cover art of Dave Brubeck’s cool jazz masterpiece, <em>Time Out</em>. (HL)</p>

<a href="https://www.greenapplebooks.com/event/9th-ave-zara-stone-and-ariel-henley">Author Talk: Zara Stone &amp; Ariel Henley</a>


<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.greenapplebooks.com/event/9th-ave-zara-stone-and-ariel-henley">Author Talk: Zara Stone &amp; Ariel Henley</a></h4>


<h4><a href="https://www.greenapplebooks.com/event/9th-ave-zara-stone-and-ariel-henley">Author Talk: Zara Stone &amp; Ariel Henley</a></h4>

<em>Green Apple Books, 1231 9th Ave.</em><br><em>Friday, Jan. 21</em>

<p><em>Green Apple Books, 1231 9th Ave.</em><br><em>Friday, Jan. 21</em></p>

From the 1920s through the 1990s, around half a million imprisoned Americans underwent taxpayer-funded cosmetic surgeries. One of the key drivers behind this controversial program was the idea that “fixing” someone’s looks would help them reintegrate into society. San Francisco author Zara Stone explores the practice—and what it reveals about standards of beauty and the prison-industrial complex—in her book, <em>Killer Looks</em>. Ariel Henley’s book, <em>A Face for Picasso</em>, details her experience growing up with a rare physical condition that caused her and her twin sister to develop physical deformities in their faces. Green Apple Books hosts both authors for a discussion. (PB)

<p>From the 1920s through the 1990s, around half a million imprisoned Americans underwent taxpayer-funded cosmetic surgeries. One of the key drivers behind this controversial program was the idea that “fixing” someone’s looks would help them reintegrate into society. San Francisco author Zara Stone explores the practice—and what it reveals about standards of beauty and the prison-industrial complex—in her book, <em>Killer Looks</em>. Ariel Henley’s book, <em>A Face for Picasso</em>, details her experience growing up with a rare physical condition that caused her and her twin sister to develop physical deformities in their faces. Green Apple Books hosts both authors for a discussion. (PB)</p>

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Glass falls from Transamerica Pyramid ‘like meteor strikes’

The mystery of history: The museum at The Cliff’s ‘Naiad Cove’ looks back on the lost & imagined past of Lands End

This weekend: Pandemic murals, plastic surgery in prison, an epic drag contest and more

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