Seeing the World From Here: Lone Mountain Cemetery

The University of San Francisco boasts the tagline: changing the world from here. At Arader Galleries, our collection of historically significant maps provides the opportunity to see the changing world from right here: 432 & 435 Jackson Street.

One of our many views of San Francisco, shares insight into the history of Lone Mountain, the name today recognized as the Upper Campus of the University of San Francisco. From 1854 to 1862 the name “Lone Mountain” referred to a 170 acre tract of land approximately 2.25 miles west of Montgomery Street and three fourths of a mile south of the Golden Gate Bridge; it was the chief burial site for the city of San Francisco.

Lone Mountain existed as a single cemetery for several years, a article published in Daily Alta California, 6 January 1858 refers to Bush Street, just a stone’s throw away from Arader Galleries, as the “Cemetery Road”.  By the early 1860’s the cemetery was subdivided into four cemeteries known as the “Big Four”: Laurel Hill, Calvary, Masonic, and Odd Fellows Cemeteries, this shift in landscape can be seen in most maps of San Francisco at Arader Galleries that were produced after the year 1860.

Lone Mountain Cemetery Duotone Lithograph. Drawn from Nature on Stone by Kuchel & Kamp; Dresel. Printed by Britton Rey. 10¾x18½ on sheet 15½x21¼.

 Beginning with John Orr, interred on June 10, 1854, the cemeteries grew until the 1880’s. As the first interred in these cemeteries, John Orr’s tombstone was inscribed: "To the Memory of the First Inhabitant of this Silent City." The silent city was populated by many California pioneers including U.S. senator David Broderick, Major James Van Ness; and Andrew Smith Hallidie, the inventor of the cable car. These famous residents of the “silent city” were eventually moved to a new cemetery in Colma.

By the 1880’s property owners in the area surrounding the cemeteries grew concerned that the cemeteries discouraged development nearby and began to demand that the cemeteries be relocated. According to the San Francisco Historical Society, “The grounds of the cemeteries deteriorated and became a haven for pranksters, juvenile delinquents, and ghouls. By 1900, most of the graveyards had been filled. In 1902, the Board of Supervisors enacted an ordinance prohibiting further burials within the city and outlawing the sale of cemetery lots in the "Big Four."”.  The relocation was met by much opposition including the Catholic archdiocese which identified the land at Calvary cemetery as hallowed. It took nearly 40 years and two articles of state legislation to permit the relocation of all four cemeteries, including over 66,000 bodies in various states of decay to Colma, California where new cemeteries were constructed.

The collection of views and maps at Arader Galleries provide a unique perspective on San Francisco’s rich history. Please contact Arader Galleries for more information regarding these and other printed works.

AL Bancroft & Co Official Guide Map of San Francisco 1882    

Detail,AL Bancroft & Co Official Guide Map of City 1882    

Bibliography
Proctor, William A., Department of City Planning, City and County of San Francisco. Location, Regulation, and Removal of Cemeteries in the City and County of San Francisco. San Francisco Archives, Public Library.
Lockwood, Charles, "The Victorian Way of Death," California Living (August 12, 1979).
Carroll, Luke M., Holy Cross Parish and Lone Mountain District of San
Francisco, published in Honor of Golden Jubilee, October 1937.
"Spotlight on Rehab; Neptune Society Restores Columbarium," Heritage
Newsletter, vol. XVI, no. 2.
Kastler, Deanna. San Francisco Museum and       Historical Society, 2003.
Liston, Frances, A Self-guided Tour of Colma  Cemeteries.
McGloin, John Fr., "The Living History of St. Ignatius," San Francisco
Foghorn, February 14, 1986.

Arader Galleries: "The Shaping of San Francisco: The Silver Age"

On January 23^rd Mr. Charles Fracchia concluded his lecture series at Arader galleries with “The Shaping of San Francisco: The Silver Age”. Mr. Fracchia is a lifelong resident of San Francisco; he founded its historical society and is a dear friend to the gallery. Fracchia’s knowledge of San Francisco is seemingly limitless, and is considered an expert in his field. His broad knowledge of his subject along with childhood memories make for a well rounded trip through San Francisco’s rich cultural and architectural history.

In Tuesday’s lecture Fracchia lectured on what is known as San Francisco’s “Silver Age”; in 1859 silver was discovered in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, known as the "Comstock Lode". The Comstock Lode sparked a new economic and population boost to the City by the Bay, the effects of which are still felt even today.

Parkinson's Map of the Comstock Lode and Washoe Mining Claims
San Francisco: 1875
$2,200

We love having education events such as Mr. Fracchia's lecture series here at Arader Galleries. They are an excellent way to dig deeper into history and serve to inform and entertain. We hope you can join us at our next event. Check our website to see when our next event will be held!

Arader Galleries Presents: the Shaping of San Francisco

W. Vallace Gray and Charles B. Gifford
"Bird's Eye View of the City and County of San Francisco, 1868"
San Francisco: 1868-69
Hand-tinted lithograph

Please join Arader Galleries for a very special evening with Mr. Charles Fracchia

Arader Galleries is pleased to be hosting Mr. Charles Fracchia for the final segment of his 3-Part Lecture Series "The Shaping of San Francisco" on the evening of Tuesday, January 22 at 6:15 pm where he will be presenting Part 3:

The Shaping of San Francisco.

Part 1: The Spanish Mexican Period (September 20th)

Part 2: The Gold Rush (October 17th)

Part 3: The Silver Age (January 22nd)

Charles Fracchia is the Founder and President of The San Francisco Historical Society and is passionate about San Francisco's extraordinary history.

Arader Galleries in Jackson Square's historic district, is the perfect backdrop to host this lecture, as many of the Gold Rush-era commercial buildings in the Jackson Square area managed to escape the 1906 earthquake. The lectures will take place at our beautiful building at 432 Jackson Street.

This lecture is free to attend. Please RSVP by calling the gallery at (415) 788-5115, availability is limited!

We will look forward to seeing you!

The Arader Galleries Team

Maathaus Merian's Copperplate Engravings

          Matthaus Merian was born in Basel around 1593. As a young boy he was taught the craft of glass-painting but soon switched over to copper-plate engraving. This is the trade that he is known for today. During the years of his apprenticeship he moved to Zurich and traveled through many places in Germany, Switzerland, and France.

          In 1616, Merian began working at a publishing house in Frankfurt under Johann Theodor de Bry. One year later, Merian married de Bry's daughter and had 3 children. Both sons went into the publishing business and his daughter became an acclaimed naturalist and illustrator. Following the death of Johann, Merian was given control over the publishing company and thus became a citizen of Frankfurt.This is where he spent most of his time.

Although he spent most of his life as a Publisher, Merian is best know for his copperplate engravings.To make a copperplate engraving, Merian would start with a sheet of copper and coat it with a waxy substance. He then used a hardened steel point to cut a design into the waxy surface and onto the copper. All metal shavings and wax were removed and the plate was heated. Ink as poured over the hot copper sheet until all of the ridges were filled with ink. Now the plate could be wiped clean and placed in a printing press to be printed onto a damp piece of parchment. Copperplate engraving was a very time-consuming and meticulous practice.

Topographia Germaniae is a 21 volume produced and published by Merian. These volumes included views of towns and cities along with maps of major cities of the world. Collectively, the volumes include over 2,000 copperplate engravings completed by himself. The dedication he had to his craft helped him slowly become the most recognized copper plate engravers in Europe at the time and today.

Blueprints of a Landmark

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city of San Francisco and arguably one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. The vermillion color was chosen to complement its natural surroundings and stand out to sailors in the distance. The long, gradual cords lend an elegant look to the bridge and illumination from the base highlights the length. It marks the separation of the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean and connects the northern tip of the peninsula to Marin county.

In the mid 1920's, Joseph Strauss had a plan to make travel from the Northern counties to the peninsula more efficient than the previous ferry systems had. He had fought for support for over a decade before receiving over 30 million dollars worth of bonds to begin construction. Many designs were considered before the final blueprints were decided on. Strauss remained the chief engineer to the project but relied heavily on three main contributors. Leon Moisseiff, designer of New York's Manhattan Bridge, came up with the cable suspension design. Architect Irving Morrow decided the bridge towers, lighting, decoration, and eventually was convinced by San Francisco residents to paint the bridge the vibrant orange it is today. Charles Alton Ellis deserves credit for most of the engineering decisions. In 1937, the bridge was completed. It set the record for largest main bridge span in the world.

The Golden Gate Bridge was, and is, a beautiful piece of architecture and of the Bay Area. Strauss, Moisseiff, Morrow, and Ellis along with hundreds of other men were responsible for turning this vision into reality. These visions can be viewed through the blueprints they created. Here, you can see the raw architectural plans that make up the bridge.

Here at Arader, we have several blueprints of various structures of the bridge. If you have further inquiries about the Golden Gate Bridge Blueprints, please feel free to contact Arader Galleries for more information.

Hillsborough Antique Show

Arader Galleries is pleased to be representing a selection of our merchandise at the upcoming Hillsborough Antique Show in San Mateo from Friday, November 2 through Sunday, November 4.

The show will be exhibited at the San Mateo County Event Center
1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo CA 94403 from:
Friday 11 am - 8 pm
Saturday 11 am - 7 pm
Sunday 11 am - 5 pm

For only $8 (with this coupon from the Hillsborough Antique Show) you can gain entry to this fantastic event which features 506 booths of Antiques, Decorative Arts & Fine Arts, including Arader Galleries.

Exciting Opportunity for Collectors - December 5

Historic Maps, Rare Books, Natural History Watercolors & Color Plate Books, New York-centric Art and American and European Oil Paintings all to be featured in Guernsey's December 5th Auction.

On December 5th, Guernsey's is honored to be conducting the sale of hundreds of treasures acquired over the last four decades by noted gallerist Graham Arader. Recognized internationally for his extraordinary collections, Mr. Arader is generously supporting several fine universities by turning auction proceeds into meaningful donations. Prospective buyers should note that the majority of auction lots will be sold either without minimum reserve or with reserves well below the amounts Mr. Arader purchased the items for over the years. Following a nearly week long preview (Nov. 30 - Dec. 4), the auction will be held live at Arader's beautiful Beaux Arts flagship gallery on New York City's Madison Avenue at 78th Street. Naturally, Guernsey's will be accommodating those unable to attend by making absentee bidding available via the Internet (liveauctioneers.com) and telephone. A massive, handsome auction catalogue (available from Guernsey's or Arader) thoroughly depicts and documents the extraordinary offerings.

Featured categories include eighty two of John James Audubon's stunning copper engravings of Birds and Quadrupeds. Many of the most sought after drawings, virtually all in uncut, pristine condition will be sold. Arguably the finest selection of historic maps and rare globes ever to come to auction will include the extremely rare hand-colored woodcut map of the Atlantic Ocean by Martin Waldseemüller, centerpiece of his groundbreaking 1513 atlas. The Natural History Section of the auction will contain sixty six lots of beautiful watercolors and color plate books including a magnificent collection of the books of John Gould, without question the most prolific ornithological artist of the 19th century. Fifty nine lots will be devoted to handsome watercolors and maps depicting early scenes of New York City. Auction lots include a 19th century landscape of Manhattan as seen from Hoboken, a wonderful Great Gatsby-era birds-eye view of Long Island's then-developing Gold Coast, and an extremely rare secret plan of the City created by a British officer on the eve of the Revolution. Additionally, there will be a fine offering of American and European paintings by such noted artists as Thomas Hill and George Henry Durrie.

Naturally, the items above represent only the smallest sampling from this extraordinary event. Interested collectors and those who appreciate amongst the rarest and most beautiful works ever created on paper are urged to contact Guernsey's for complete information.

You can download a complete catalog of all featured lots and estimates for this auction here: 

Download Arader Galleries/Guernsey Catalog (PDF, 6.62MB)