Building upon the deluge of nostalgic Dolores Park photos that surfaced earlier this week, MM reader friscolex clued us in to the gold mine that is the San Francisco Public Library History Center Blog. And what a gold mine it is! Here we have a photo of Mission High School students eating lunch in Dolores Park in 1958. Myriad interesting things here.
First of all, these “high school” students look a lot older than most high school students I see around these days. In fact, they look older than most undergrads! Perhaps they’re not really high school students at all but are merely playing the part a la James Van Der Beek.
Furthermore, I’m not quite sure, but all of these students look pretty white. Although this may just mean that they weren’t on the city champion soccer team, I’ve got a feeling that most of their fellow classmates were white as well. 50 years later, it seems that things are a little different.
But that’s not all from the SFPL HC! Check out these amazing early (1965) designs for BART trains! Supposedly, BART promised “trains automatically timed to arrive at stations every 90 seconds during rush hours, [and] BART is guaranteeing everyone of its passengers a seat[!!!]“ I wonder how that worked out.
Nevertheless, the SFPL History Center is a gold mine. Be sure to check it out and support it however you can!
Previously:
okay dude, i think it’s high time i finally introduced you to jeff (http://spotsunknown.com/). he has unearthed some serious and impressive gems. we’re gonna go check out “shot in san francisco” at oddball films on capp on friday night. curious to see what’ll be captured in that!
ellie, this definitely needs to happen! unfortunately, i’ll be in vegas friday, but let’s try for something next week!
I copied more of those BART prototype pictures from Industrial Design a few months ago, if anybody is interested in more of them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/4394123902/in/set-72157622518181915/
Yes, the History Center is an amazing place.
Why is it we seem to have had more of a future in the past?
because people paid more taxes and stimulated public education and public services back then.
Sim, o Centro Histórico é um lugar incrível
To really get a feel of the demographics of Mission High School, come check out the Mission High School yearbooks in the San Francisco History Center. http://sflib1.sfpl.org/record=b1295987~S1
For the photograph of Mission High School students, 1958, the photograph was published in the San Francisco News. The newscopy printed with the photo – “When city offered Mission Park as a noontime picnic ground for Mission High students, they formed a clean-up committee, headed by Phyllis Cassidy, center. ‘Like a giant vacuum cleaner, the committee goes over the whole park to see that no one’s left any trash.’ For a week’s ‘clean’ score, school’s out a bit earlier on Friday’s. For violations, the bell rings late. With Phyllis are Dale Scholzen, student body president (left), and Ed Johnston.”
have had more of a future in the past?
Yes, the History Center is an amazing place
Why is it we seem to have had more of a future in the past?