We have lived in the San Francisco Bay area for 33 years, so I was surprised and excited to discover someplace I had never heard about that has fabulous murals from the WPA projects of the depression days. The building, The Beach Chalet, sits on the farthest western side of San Francisco on the Great Hiway (Hiway 1). Across the street is the Pacific Ocean. It was build in 1925 and the murals were painted in 1936. They are made up of tiny brush strokes. Maybe that made the project last longer! It was fun to study the scenes and pick out famous landmarks. The clothing, automobiles and other details of the 30's add to the charm. The one above is my favorite....Fisherman's wharf. There are also lots of mosaic and gorgeous carved bannisters of octopi and mermaids, mermen and merkids. I think originally the building had dressing rooms for the famous Sutro Baths that are now just a distant memory. The building has two restaurants, the one on top with a stunning view of the ocean. If you every get out this way, put it on your list of special places to visit. I have created a slide show out of the photos I took. Enjoy!
4 comments:
They're beautiful! Most of the WPA art was destroyed, so it's great to know that these survived. Thanks for posting them.
Hi Myrna, What a neat find! The murals look like they're in good shape; the colors seem bright. I liked the slide show.
Myrna, the Beach Chalet is a real treasure. Bob and I went there for a his birthday this year while staying in the city to see "Wicked." We walked there from Golden Gate Park, a bigger hike than we expected, actually. The murals are wonderful and the food was super, too. Thanks for sharing.
Aha! I've just found your blog...I'm an artist in the UK but with happy memories of several visits to the Bay area. Thanks for posting the murals.
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