Save the Cliff House Art Collection

Save The Cliff House Collection
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Help Us Conserve and Exhibit the Cliff House Collection

Together, we saved over 100 artifacts from auction on March 11-12, 2021 but the work still continues. Support our collective effort to interpret our shared heritage at the edge of the Western world.

Visit The Museum at The Cliff in the former Cliff House Gift Shop at 1090 Point Lobos Avenue, Thursdays through Sundays, 11-4pm.  

Our History

Photo. Seal Rocks and the first Cliff House as seen from Ocean Beach, c. 1872. (Cliff House Collection / WNP)

The closure of San Francisco’s iconic Cliff House restaurant in December 2020 was heartbreaking for all who loved it. The city had already lost so much during the first year of the pandemic and it was inconceivable that this landmark, which had risen from the ashes of two fires since opening in 1863, could be gone. So, three strangers decided to do something about it. 

Photo. Left to Right: John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery, Nicole Meldahl of Western Neighborhoods Project, and Alexandra Mitchell of ACT Art Conservation (aka “The Dream Team”) at the former Cliff House Restaurant, March 2021. (Photo by Jason Corning)

In late February 2021, after learning that historic art and artifacts from the Cliff House were destined to be auctioned, Alexandra Mitchell of ACT Art Conservation approached John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery and said, “John, we can’t let this happen, we have to save the Cliff House collection.” John agreed, “You should call Nicole Meldahl at Western Neighborhoods Project.” This is how our collective effort, Save The Cliff House Collection, was born. 

Photo. Proceeds from the sale of this watercolor by artist Doug Gorney helped us save the Cliff House Collection. Prints are still for sale on the artist’s website. (Photo by Doug Gorney). 

It took over 470 individual donors to do it, but we were able to raise more than our goal of $150,000 in just over two weeks. This was a grassroots campaign that succeeded primarily through small contributions supported by a few organizations / individuals who provided substantial donations to save our shared heritage. They include:

  • Richard Beleson in honor of Gary Kamiya
  • An anonymous donor who had their wedding reception at The Cliff House
  • The San Francisco Cable Car Museum
  • The Fleishhacker Foundation and David Fleishhacker
  • The Sunset Heights Association of Responsible People

Additional support came from Rabin Worldwide as well as Dan and Mary Hountalas, who gave us access to and helped us to prioritize which items to acquire at the auction; Minnesota Street Project (MSP) and Lawrence Fine Arts (LFA), which have provided free art handling, transport, storage and crating for large pieces in the collection; Market Street Railway, who helped us with fundraising efforts; and all of you who contributed to our campaign in so many different ways. We genuinely love each and every one of you.

Photo. Members of the Dream team and the Minnesota Street Project crew outside the former Cliff House restaurant in March 2021. (Photo by Jason Corning)

And we did it! During an online auction that we hope never to experience again, we placed winning bids on 58 lots to acquire over 100 artifacts–not everything we wanted, but a representative sample of what was once on display at The Cliff House. Now part of the Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) collection, these artifacts enable us to showcase the many layers of history, not only of the Cliff House but of the Sutro Baths and Playland at the Beach. See What We Saved. [link to page about The Collection] 

Programs

Photo. Our favorite “two-fisted pup stuffer” eating Pronto Pup corn dogs in front of the former Cliff House restaurant, circa 1956. (Courtesy of a Private Collector / OpenSFHistory, wnp25.2243)

This collective effort truly illustrates how community history is a community project and that, when we work together, we can save our shared heritage. This is why we immediately staged Listening Sessions via Zoom following our acquisition to hear what the community wanted to do with these priceless artifacts we acquired as a team effort. These were recorded and are now available on WNP’s YouTube Channel: watch the Listening Session #1 and Listening Session #2. 

Photos. Historian John Martini leads a WNP Cliff House and Sutro Baths History Walk on September 30, 2021. (Photos by Nicole Meldahl / WNP)

Keeping this feedback close, we set about conserving, cataloging, and interpreting the collection. Alexandra Mitchell and her team at ACT Art Conservation LLC began treatments on the most fragile items immediately, and WNP began developing programs, like history walks with historian John Martini and lectures with the Sutro Library. We continue to add new events every month and you can watch recordings of past online programs, like the “Life and library of Adolph Sutro,” on WNP’s YouTube channel.  

Then, WNP took the reins of CliffHouseProject.com from its founder and tireless steward, Gary Stark. Now retired, Gary married the skills he acquired as a video game developer for Atari just out of college to a software developer and IT manager for a construction company with his love of Cliff House history. The website he created is an incredible resource, filled with photographs, newspaper excerpts, and more, either found by Gary or contributed by other historians and history buffs. Gary transferred CliffHouseProject.com to WNP in the Fall of 2021 and also donated historic photographs featured on the site, which are now part of our permanent collection alongside the art and artifacts acquired at the Cliff House auction. 

Exhibitions

Photo. Volunteer Pam Wright inspects our signage on opening day, October 23, 2021. (Photo by Nicole Meldahl, WNP)

But our main priority has been making the collection accessible to the public as soon as possible, and we did this by placing them on exhibition in two separate locations within six months of acquisition. See curated selections currently on view at:  

  • “Selections from the Cliff House Collection” at the WNP Office + Gallery, 1617 Balboa Street, SF, CA, 94121 (Ongoing, By Appointment Only)
  • “The Museum at The Cliff” in the former Cliff House Gift Shop, 1090 Point Lobos Avenue, SF, CA, 94121 (October 2021 – April 2022, 11-4pm, Thursdays through Sundays)

Sign up for intimate Curator’s Tours of The Museum at The Cliff today on the WNP Events Page.

We’ve also been working with local artists to create family-friendly programming in support of our exhibitions. Starting in December 2021, windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean at The Museum at The Cliff will be illuminated by a series of projected artworks by Ben Wood called “The Cliff Moving Picture Gallery.” Wood animates photographs from the OpenSFHistory archives alongside footage from the Prelinger Archives so you can experience this history like never before. You can see scenes from Cliff House days-gone-by every evening from 5:00pm to 10:00pm on a secluded deck behind The Museum. This COVID-safe activity is absolutely free and fun for all ages. 

We hold Projection Premieres to unveil new sequences every month! Join us for complimentary popcorn, beverages, and candy and enjoy extended hours in The Museum at our next premiere:

  1. Saturday, December 4, 2022 at 5:30pm – This Event Has Passed
  2. Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 5:30pm – This Event Has Passed
  3. Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 5:30pm   
  4. Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 5:30pm 
Photo. Artist Ben Wood puts the finishing touches on his projected artwork, “The Cliff Moving Picture Gallery,” from inside The Museum at The Cliff, December 2021. (Photo by Nicole Meldahl / WNP)

We’ve also partnered with Sunset District artist Thorsten Sideboard for a special kids activity book based on the life of Adolph Sutro. Inside, you’ll find a biographical comic strip, a word search, drawing challenges, a treasure map, and more! Generously funded through an education grant from the Sunset Heights Association of Responsible People, this limited-edition zine is free and available to all Junior Historians at The Museum at the Cliff from January 1st through April 10th, 2022. 

Photo. Hot off the presses! WNP Executive Director Nicole Meldahl holds the very first printing of our kids activity book, Sutro for Kids.

Again, we couldn’t have done this without the support of our community. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area has provided the former Cliff House Gift Shop to us for free, also allowing us to keep the Whitney Totem Pole in place on a yearly-renewing special use permit without charge. We’re so grateful to Marcus Koenen and John Omega of the National Park Service for all they’ve done for us. Amanda Williford of the Park Archives and Record Center and Gina Capari, alongside her entire Global Museum team, have been fearless in their flexibility (which is hard for museum professionals!) as we worked together to open The Museum at a break-neck pace. 

In addition, we’re so grateful for the countless hours of exhibition curation, preparation and installation that were also provided by Rick Bellamy, Ryan Butterfield, Jason Corning, Christina Gazi, Jennie Love, John Martini, Gillian Murdoch, Harvey Newman, Arlo Novicoff, Jamie O’Keefe Andrew Roth, Isabel Scanlon, Morgan Schlessinger, Carissa Tonner, Arnold Woods, and Cecilia Zhang. All of this would be for naught if we couldn’t keep our doors open; thank you to volunteer docents Jan and Harold Brandt, Erik Butterfield, Barbara Cannella, Joseph Grossblatt, Anne Evers Hitz, Judi Leff, Gail McGowan, Lauren O’Leary, Peter Peacock, Ken Spielman and Pam Wright. Last but most certainly not least, we need to thank Nicole Smahlik, who coordinates these volunteers and has kept us steady. 

Ongoing Work

We’ve accomplished a lot in less than a year, but this is only the beginning. Stay connected with this community effort by following our journey on Instagram and checking the Western Neighborhoods Project website for upcoming events. 

Want to read more about this wild ride? Peruse our press page for the latest coverage.

Conservation continues under the care of ACT Art Conservation LLC as an Angel Project, but some artifacts, like the porcelain muses, require extra special attention. Also, the collection keeps growing! When news of our success at the auction spread, another muse materialized in a private East Bay collection. She’s been offered to WNP but, sadly, is in pieces–having fallen over in the 1989 earthquake. We need your support to put the pieces back together and reunite these ladies. 

Photos. Minnesota Street Project crews move Sheriff C.U. Soon to the ACT Art Conservation Lab in San Mateo in September 2021, and Sutro Baths Lockers into the WNP Office + Gallery November 2021.

Minnesota Street Project has kindly been storing the larger artifacts, like Sheriff C.U. Soon from Playland at the Beach, since they were removed from the former Cliff House but they can’t live there forever. Plus, our special use permit for The Museum at The Cliff expires in April 2022. We need your help to write the next chapter for these iconic pieces of San Francisco history. 

Photo. WNP’s Chief Preparator, Harvey Newman, planning custom cases for The Museum at The Cliff in August 2021, prior to the exhibition’s. (Photo by Nicole Meldahl / WNP)

We’ll continue to make the collection accessible at the WNP Office + Gallery but our walls can only hold so much. If you have a spare building you’d like to provide for the permanent exhibition of these pieces, let us know. Don’t have that kind of real estate at your disposal? Completely understandable. We’d love to hear your ideas on other solutions. Email the Dream Team with thoughts or questions: info@savethecliffhousecollection.com.

Support This Effort

DONATE

Financial support is (obviously) also appreciated. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support work that includes but is not limited to:

  • Conserving artifacts within the WNP collection–those that were purchased at the Cliff House auction in March, and those that have joined the collection after news of our acquisition spread.
  • Improving collections storage and purchasing archival supplies
  • Developing exhibitions and public programming for all-ages
  • Planning a permanent museum to showcase the diverse art and history of San Francisco’s west side. 
Photo. By popular demand, our effort to Save The Cliff House Collection now has custom merchandise. (Photo by Turkey & Reuben)

You can also support this effort by purchasing custom merch from Turkey & Reuben, owned and operated by Noa Schneorson and Mara Ezekiel. These Inner Sunset residents are doing a very awesome thing: supporting local history. If you buy this one-of-a-kind Sutro Seals hat or other Outside Lands inspired items from the Western Neighborhoods Project Collection, they’ll donate 10% of the sale to our nonprofit. They have hats, tote bags, sweatshirts and stickers. Shop the Collection Today!

Can’t support us financially but want to help in other ways? Awesome! We are actively seeking volunteers to do work behind-the-scenes and engage the public around this local history. Email Nicole Meldahl, Executive Director of Western Neighborhoods Project, at nicole@outsidelands.org if you’d like to join the WNP Team. 

History is happening and we are here for it. The Cliff House Collection Dream Team includes ACT Art Conservation LLC, The Great Highway Gallery, and Western Neighborhoods Project. 

Western Neighborhoods Project, a registered 501(c)3 community history nonprofit, has preserved, interpreted, and shared the diverse history and culture of San Francisco’s west side since 1999. ACT Art Conservation LLC is a fine art studio owned and founded by 4th-generation San Franciscan, Alexandra Mitchel–a fine art Conservator working to protect history and heritage for over 15 years. The Great Highway is a fine art gallery located in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset District and founded in 2011 by John Lindsey. 

savethecliffhouseart

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there who Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there who took us for brunch at the Cliff House in uncomfortable fancy outfits! And to all the ones we wish we could take now 🤍 

We wish you all a joyful Mother’s Day! To all the many kinds of mamas out there: chosen and given, with us and without us. Who showed us love, support and shared laughs and wisdom with us. We love you! And wishing you endless happy memories. 

Photo: Western Neighborhood Project. : Pt Lobos near Great Highway,Nov 1947 - Two women posing on sidewalk in front of the Cliff House, Sutro Heights fake rocks in background [Mom & Vic at Cliff House, Frisco Cal. Nov 1947
Todays the day! Global Museum Day at The Museum Todays the day! 

Global Museum Day at The Museum at The Cliff! 🏛🌊

Saturday, February 26, 2022
11:00 AM - 04:00 PM
 
Location:
1090 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco CA 94121
Cost: Free
Web:
https://www.outsidelands.org/Event/522
Sponsor:
Western Neighborhoods Project, the Global Museum, & SFSU Museum Studies Program,
Contact:
gcaprari@sfsu.edu
Email:
nicole@outsidelands.org
 

The Global Museum at SF State now stewards ancient Egyptian objects that were collected by SF Mayor Adolph Sutro in the 1890s and once displayed in a museum at the Sutro Baths. Selections from this collection are presented alongside other pieces acquired by Sutro that are now part of the Western Neighborhoods Project and Golden Gate National Recreation Area collections. Incredibly, they are reunited for the first time since they were removed from Sutro's Glass Palace in 1966. Meet Global Museum Registrar Gina Caprari, who will share her insights into the complex history of these 4,000-year-old objects and answer any other questions that come to mind. Plus, every San Francisco State University student who signs up for a free WNP student membership while visiting The Museum that day will receive a complimentary poster of the Victorian-era Cliff House from Marilyn Blaisdell's former Cliff House Gift Shop, San Francisciana. 

As always, The Museum at The Cliff is free and does not require reservations to visit. 

However, you will need to provide proof of vaccination and wear a mask to step into the gallery. 

Sponsors: Western Neighborhoods Project, the Global Museum, & SFSU Museum Studies Program
Thank you @sfexaminer for the feature!! We are so Thank you @sfexaminer for the feature!! We are so proud and excited to see @benwoodstudio projection installation featured this morning! Please come by to check it out! 🌊🎥 . 

This experience is free and can be viewed every evening, from sundown to 10:00pm, beginning December 4, 2021 and rotating until The Museum closes in April 2022.
Don’t forget!! : Projection Party at The Museum Don’t forget!! : Projection Party at The Museum at The Cliff !! 📽 WNP Event
Feb 12, 2022 5:30pm-6:30pm (Saturday) at The Museum at The Cliff 1090 Point Lobos Avenue
With support from the Prelinger Archives, we are thrilled to celebrate the third of four projected video artworks by Ben Wood animating local history The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop at 1090 Point Lobs Avenue, on February 12, 2022.

This installation, naturally secluded from Point Lobos Avenue for an intimate viewing experience, will illuminate three northerly-facing windows with diverse scenes of the Cliff House and connected sites. Imagery shows change over time at the Cliff House through the sequenced montage of commercial photography and studio portraits, amateur snapshots, found footage and B-roll that also show the Sutro Baths, Sutro Heights Park, and Playland at the Beach. This creates silent yet enthralling historic context for the Sutro District and also supports artifacts from the WNP, PARC, and Global Museum collections on display inside The Museum at The Cliff and nearby at The Lands End Lookout.

Join us at 5:30pm on Saturday, February 12, 2022 and enjoy this special installation with our extended WNP family. The Museum at The Cliff will be open late for viewing, and there will be refreshments to keep us warm.

Speaking of staying warm, please bring layers as the projected video will be experienced outside. Pandemic-appropriate masks and proof of vaccination will be required to visit The Museum. This event is free but donations are appreciated to keep our nonprofit going. Registration in advance is not mandatory but appreciated.- @outsidelandz
Thank you @7x7bayarea !! How wonderful to feature Thank you @7x7bayarea !! How wonderful to feature The Museum at the Cliff ! Join WNP Executive Director Nicole Meldahl as she takes you an an intimate tour of The Museum at The Cliff, located in the former Cliff House Gift Shop, on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 10:00am.

With her noted enthusiasm, Nicole will walk you through the stories behind the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, and Sutro Heights on this one hour tour. See souvenirs, one of Adolph Sutro's taxidermy monkeys, a collection of 4,000 year-old Egyptian artifacts, and more as she highlights her favorite pieces on display and provides context that will help you better appreciate the special history of this area known as Lands End. Plus, you can't beat the view...

This tour is free for WNP Members and $20 for non-members. It is limited to 12 people and will take place before the museum opens. Please arrive 5 minutes early and be prepared to wear a pandemic-appropriate mask while touring the exhibition. curators tour of the museum. - @outsidelandz Register at outsidelands.org !
🚨 we’re all ok. Bit of a scare - @nbccalive c 🚨 we’re all ok. Bit of a scare - @nbccalive camera crew was robbed at gunpoint at the Cliff House this morning. As a result, the program feature is postponed. We are so grateful to @sanfranciscopolicedepartmentt for their response. Stay safe everyone.
We can’t wait to see you all on California Live We can’t wait to see you all on California Live this morning! Tune into NBC Bay Area at 11:30am (not 10-11, like we accidentally told you) TODAY.  Artist Ben Wood and our ED Nicole Meldahl will be interviewed LIVE inside The Museum. 

@savethecliffhouseart @thegreathighway @actartconservationsf @benwoodstudio #sfhistory #sanfranciscohistory #californialive #opensfhistory #history #art #museum #exhibition @nbcnews @nbcbayarea @nbccalive
The Museum at the Cliff has an open call for submi The Museum at the Cliff has an open call for submissions for the final video installment of The Cliff Moving Picture Gallery, a unique after dark projected video artwork that animates windows of the Cliff House with images from its own history. 

What's Your Cliff House History? 
Do you have photos, films or videos of your time with friends and family at the former Cliff House or the area around it? 

See your memories projected onto the windows of the Cliff House!
YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
We want to include your Cliff House history in this special finale!
Submissions are welcome on Instagram: 
tag @outsidelandz or @benwoodstudio #mycliffhousesf
You may also email jpeg files to:  wood.ben1@gmail.com by February 15th –Historic and contemporary submissions welcome
–Maximum 3 entries per person, usage not guaranteed
–Digital files minimum 300 dpi preferred, JPG ok

Video projections on view in March 2022 

#projectionart #bayareaartist #bayareaartists #sfart #sfartist #sanfrancisco #bayareaarts #opencall #cliffhousesf #artconservation #actartconservation 
#landsend #richmonddistrtict #oceanbeach #ggnra #pointlobos #cliffhouse
#playland #sealrock #pacificocean #sanfrancisco #bayarea #goldengate
#sutrobaths #prontopup #sanfranciscophotography

#artintheparks #artinthepark #cliffhouse #mycliffhousesf 
#artsinthepark @actartconservationsf @savethecliffhouseart @outsidelandz @thegreathighway @benwoodstudio
What’s happening with WNP this week?! We’re so What’s happening with WNP this week?! We’re so glad that you asked…

WEEK OF JAN 17TH 2022

- The Museum at The Cliff is closed due to an abundance of caution in light of the Omicron surge from Thursday, Jan 20 to Sunday, Jan 23. We’re assessing reported cases every Monday and will reopen when the numbers start to come down. Our normal hours are 11-4pm, Thurs-Sunday. Thanks for your patience and understanding as we ride out another pandemic wave. 

- BUT, you can still view a projection by @benwoodstudio featuring footage from the one-and-only Prelinger Archive! Any evening, from 5-10pm, you can see animated scenes from Cliff House days gone by from a secluded deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean behind The Museum. This is COVID and family friendly. Just be sure to dress warm and bring a buddy to make sure you stay safe at the edge of the Western world. 

- Our weekly podcast, “Outside Lands San Francisco,” is back for the first episode of the year—available for download on Spotify, iTunes, or through our website on Sat 1/22. This episode, hosts Michael Maire Lange and Nicole Meldahl welcome special guest Jessica Smith, archivist for The Olympic Club, to dive into when the Club’s annual New Year’s Hike ‘N’ Dip first started.  Because, really, all historians secretly just want to be detectives. 

All this history is free history because it’s your history. Stay tuned for future updates and have a wonderful week! 

#sfhistory #sanfrancisco #sanfranciscohistory #history #opensfhistory #museum #art #artexhibition #free
Thank you @thebolditalic for the great write up! 🌁🌊 so excited to be featured!
EXTRA EXTRA!!! 📰 Thank you @carlnolte and @sfch EXTRA EXTRA!!! 📰 Thank you @carlnolte and @sfchronicle for the beautiful feature of @benwoodstudio projections and the Museum at the Cliff! We are overwhelmed and honored 🌊 
Go find a copy in your local Newspaper box or read online! 🙌🏻 

#savethecliffhousecollection #sanfranciscoart #cliffhouse #sutrobaths #playland #cliffhousesanfrancisco #cliffhousesf #historicpreservation #sanfranciscohistory #sunsetstrong #savesfheritage #sanfrancisco #artconservation #greathighway #gallery
#californiaarts #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #history #californiahistory #historicalsociety #archives #nativeson #carlnolte #sfchronicle 
#saveourheritage #preservation #sanfranciscosaveshistory #artconservation #fineartconservation
This year, we’re brining in some “I wrote this This year, we’re brining in some “I wrote this in the back of your yearbook” vibes to keep you posted on what’s happening at WNP each week. KIT, friends. Hopefully our artistic tools and skills will improve over time! 

WEEK OF JAN 3RD, 2022

- The Museum at The Cliff is closed due to an abundance of caution in light of the Omicron surge from Thursday, Jan 6 to Sunday, Jan 10. We’ll reopen (higher power and prevailing science willing) next week. Our normal hours are 11-4pm, Thurs-Sunday. Thanks for your patience and understanding as we ride out another pandemic wave. 

- Related, we’ve elected to cancel our Projection Premiere on January 8th. BUT, the new installation by @benwoodstudio featuring footage from the one-and-only Prelinger Archive is now on view! Any evening, from 5-10pm, you can see animated scenes from Cliff House days gone by from a secluded deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean behind The Museum. This is COVID and family friendly. Just be sure to dress warm and bring a buddy to make sure you stay safe at the edge of the Western world. 

All this history is free history because it’s your history. Stay tuned for future updates and have a wonderful week! 

#sfhistory #sanfrancisco #sanfranciscohistory #history #opensfhistory #museum #art #artexhibition #free
Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year from@all of us 🥂🎉🌊 

The Cliff House museum will be closed until January 13th as Covid cases throughout the city rise. Please stay safe and we can’t wait to see you back! ✨

Photo: courtesy of the one and only @nostosnic
Thank you @nbcbayarea !!! Wonderful segment tonigh Thank you @nbcbayarea !!! Wonderful segment tonight of @benwoodstudio ‘s fantastic installation at the Museum at the Cliff! Check out our stories for the link to the full article and video!
If you haven’t already seen the magic @benwoodst If you haven’t already seen the magic @benwoodstudio has made in the windows of our Museum at The Cliff, then we have the perfect holiday activity for you, your family and friends.

Grab a cup of cocoa (or something stronger) and see Cliff House history come to life every night from 5-10pm. These projections, which are viewable outside around the back of The Museum from a secluded deck facing the Pacific Ocean, connect you with so many San Franciscans and visitors who have come here before.

This piece will be available until January 8th, when we’ll premiere a new projection from Ben with support from the Prelinger Archives. Want to get involved and add your photos to this projection as well? DM us for details. 

And don’t miss a segment on Ben’s work airing on NBC News this Friday at 5pm! 

#sfhistory #sanfranciscohistory #sanfrancisco #history #opensfhistory @nbcbayarea @sf_arts_commission
Our incredible friends and partners of Minnesota S Our incredible friends and partners of Minnesota Street Projects Art Services delivered the Sutro Baths lockers to the Western Neighborhoods Project office and gallery a recently. Please come drop by to visit them and more of the collection at WNP!


We are honored to dedicated the lockers to long time Western Neighborhoods Project member Tom Bratton, who passed last year.

“He was much more than a member: he was a contributor, friend, message board poster, one of WNP's inner circle Chat & Chew confidants who graciously shared his memories of growing up and working at the Sutro Baths, where his father was also general manager for a time. He learned to swim there and started working as a locker room boy in 1953, when he was just old enough to work. He advanced through the ranks as a museum attendant, coat check manager, public address announcer and disk jockey at the ice rink.

In his retirement years, he served as an onsite volunteer docent at the Sutro Baths ruins for the National Park Service--telling the story of Sutro's grand palace to thousands of visitors over the years, us included. He was always ready to answer any question we had and gently corrected our mistakes. His depth of knowledge on Sutro's is something that cannot be replaced and we will always cherish the memory of his friendship and generosity. 

We have no doubt our recent acquisitions from the Cliff House auction were made possible by his spirit. The lockers are for you, Tom.”

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Clear the Ice.”

- The Western Neghborhoods Project 

Photo credits: 
•Lockers :  Save the Cliff House Collection archives 
•Photos courtesy of WNP
•Member photo: The Western Neighborhoods Project archives
Tom Bratton, second from the left

#savethecliffhousecollection #sanfranciscoart #cliffhouse #sutrobaths #playland #cliffhousesanfrancisco #cliffhousesf #historicpreservation #sanfranciscohistory #sunsetstrong #savesfheritage #sanfrancisco #artconservation #greathighway #gallery
#californiaarts #sfhistory #sanfrancisco #history #californiahistory #historicalsociety #archives 
#saveourheritage #preservation #sanfranciscosaveshistory #artconservation #fineartconservation
Grab your best sweater like these gals in 1958 and Grab your best sweater like these gals in 1958 and join us on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 5:30pm to experience the Cliff House like never before! 

We’re premiering a projected artwork by @benwoodstudio that will animate the windows of The Museum at The Cliff with illuminated scenes of Cliff House history over time. 

This event is free and no RSVP is required, although appreciated. The Museum will be open late and we’ll provide light refreshments with lots of good cheer to kick start the holiday season. See link in profile for more details. 

[📸 courtesy of a Private Collector / wnp25.5407] #sfhistory #sanfranciscohistory #sanfrancisco #opensfhistory #history #event #freeevent
New Podcast!! 📻🎙 Link is in our bio! Out New Podcast!! 📻🎙 

Link is in our bio! 

Outside Lands Podcast Episode 441: The Museum at The Cliff

The Museum would not have been possible but for the herculean effort by our podcast guests: Alexandra Mitchell of ACT Art Conservation and John Lindsey of The Great Highway gallery in collaboration with Western Neighborhoods Project. Hear how a magical series of events had to fall into place to bring the Museum into existence.

If you haven't already visited the Museum at The Cliff, where we are displaying many of the Cliff House and Sutro Baths historical items successfully won at action - get to it! We're open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 - 4:00 PM located at the Cliff House Gift Shop. 

Photo:Third Cliff House, 1972
Gift shop exterior, Sandwich board in front [Sale Relics and Antiques Open Now], Totem Pole. [1972] source : ousidelands.org 

#savethecliffhousecollection #sanfranciscoart #cliffhouse #sutrobaths #playland #cliffhousesanfrancisco #cliffhousesf #historicpreservation #sanfranciscohistory #sunsetstrong #savesfheritage #sanfrancisco #artconservation #greathighway #gallery
#californiaarts #californiahistory #historicalsociety #archives 
#saveourheritage #preservation #sanfranciscosaveshistory #artconservation #fineartconservation
Wishing you all a very healthy and happy Thanksgiv Wishing you all a very healthy and happy Thanksgiving from all of us! 

We are so truly grateful for all of our community! Our vision and goals for this project would truly not have happened without you all. 

We are so grateful to all of our partners, countless volunteers and collaborators, friends, family and followers. 
We are forever humbled and grateful for your support and for believing in our mission. 

We have so much more coming in 2022 and we know we can do it with you by our side! 

We hope to one day be sharing a meal (and popovers!) with you all in the Cliff House once more 🍽 

Cheers to a Thanksgiving filled with full bellies and full hearts! 
🥂🍁🦃💙 

- the Cliff House Collection team

John Lindsey, Director and owner of The Great Highway Gallery
Nicole Meldahl, Director of Western Neighborhood Project 
Alexandra Mitchell, Owner and Principal Conservator of ACT Art Conservation LLC

Photo source: Cliff House circa 1950 
Www.outsidelands.org

#savethecliffhousecollection #sanfranciscoart #cliffhouse #sutrobaths #playland #cliffhousesanfrancisco #cliffhousesf #historicpreservation #sanfranciscohistory #sunsetstrong #savesfheritage #sanfrancisco #artconservation #greathighway #gallery
#californiaarts #californiahistory #historicalsociety #archives 
#saveourheritage #preservation #sanfranciscosaveshistory #artconservation #fineartconservation #actartconservation
We had a blast recording a  @sfchronicle #TotalS We had a blast recording a  @sfchronicle #TotalSF podcast about “Secrets of the Cliff House!” with @peterhartlaubsf and @heatherknightsf last week. And now it’s available for your listening.

Visit the link in profile or copy the link below to hear us talk about many things but mostly about a taxidermy monkey we have on display at #TheMuseumAtTheCliff (sorry, @actartconservationsf ). Because fun fact: Adolph Sutro loved his pet monkeys (as you see here) and taxidermy was used in a variety of ways at the Sutro Baths. Tune in to find out more!

Visit: https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/podcasts/total-sf/

[📸 from the Marilyn Blaisdell Collection courtesy of Molly Blaisdell / wnp70.0608] #sfhistory #sanfranciscohistory #sanfrancisco #history #opensfhistory #podcast #newepisode #flashbackfriday #fbf @goldengatenps
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