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| [Interior of the American Trust Company. 1959 Oct 20.] Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, San Francisco Public Library. |
Nostalgia - it's delicate, but potent. Teddy told me that in Greek, "nostalgia" literally means "the pain from an old wound." It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone.Those who have been following the AMC television series Mad Men know that the above quote refers to Don Draper's genius advertising strategy for a new type of slide projector, but he could just as easily have been talking about the show itself and the viewers' nostalgia for the 1960s America that it presents.
- Don Draper, Mad Men
Many people come to the San Francisco History Center to search for stories from San Francisco's distant past, but there is plenty to study from the City's more recent history. If you're experiencing a "twinge" for mid-twentieth century nostalgia, come up and find what you're looking for on the 6th Floor. Here is a selection of materials to get you started:
Books -
- Mid-Century by the Bay by Heather M. David takes a look at the recent past "[f]rom the Bay Area's post-war suburbs ... to its futuristic commercial architecture and once numerous roadside attractions."
- Hi-Fi's & Hi-Balls: The Golden Age of the American Bachelor by Steven Guarnaccia and Bob Sloan. As Don Draper knows, "[t]he fifties and sixties were great times for the unattached and untrammeled single guy." Found in the Schmulowitz Collection of Wit and Humor.
While the nation was looking for a way to get astronauts to the moon, the Bay Area was creating a plan to get people to work. The San Francisco History Center has vertical files of information on Bay Area Rapid Transit; just ask for S.F. Transit. Rapid.
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| Designs for BART cars from Industrial Design, October 1965 in the vertical file S.F. Transit. Rapid. Cars. The brochure states that, "[w]ith trains automatically timed to arrive at stations every 90 seconds during rush hours, BART is guaranteeing everyone of its passengers a seat." |
Architecture -
From the suburbs to The City, we have plenty of resources to study for mid-century architecture:
- Eichler Homes: Design for Living by Jerry Ditto and Lanning Stern
- The vertical file S.F. Buildings. Hilton Hotel includes a special 16-page section of the SF Examiner that ran Friday, May 29, 1964, during the hotel's first week of operation.
- Architect and Engineer (through Nov. 1959, continued as Western Architect and Engineer through Dec. 1961)
- Arts and Architecture (Feb. 1944 - 1964, 1966 - July/Aug. 1967, fall 1981 - 1985)
While we don't encourage Don and Betty Drapers' desire to 'light up' every few minutes, the SF Realia collection of Matchbooks can spark a brilliant trip down memory lane.
Tiki -
The fondness for all things Polynesian was alive and well in the mid-century Bay Area. Check out S.F. Menus for examples of the fare at Tiki Bobs, Trader Vic's, and the ever popular Tonga Room! Tiki may have become popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but the Tiki movement lives on in the San Francisco based zine Tiki News. Find it in the Little Maga/Zine Collection.
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| 1964 cover of Tiki Bob's menu. Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. |
BART learned their streamlined design increased their operation cost for time and labor. During non-peak hours, extra cars are removed to make shorter trains. But the "A" cars had to be cut, set out, extra cars removed, and "A" cars re-coupled back to the remaining cars. Now with the "C" cars, BART just cut the train where the two "C" cars are at...just like everywhere else.
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