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San Francisco Scale Model is a massive hit at the library

February 27, 2019 by Bonnee Waldstein

Find your house.

Glen Parkers and residents from adjoining neighborhoods packed the library last Thursday to see a section (of the 120) of the San Francisco Scale Model and hear its fascinating story.  At the same time, it was an exciting history lesson about our neighborhoods.  The model was in storage for 77 years, until now.

The presentation was put on by the Glen Park Neighborhoods History Project and featured historians Evelyn Rose, founder of GPNHP; Amy O’Hair of Sunnyside; Hannah Simonson of Diamond Heights, and Jacquie Proctor of Miraloma Park.

In the talk and slide show, Evelyn Rose noted the history of the San Francisco model as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project that provided employment during the Great Depression. It took 300 craftspeople, working thousands of hours, two years to build.

Sunnyside historian Amy O’Hair

 

Slide show of historic neighborhood photos

The model contains all the houses and structures (6,000, minus some missing pieces) that were in existence in 1938, including many of the houses in Glen Park.  Diamond Heights as we know it now didn’t exist. The three hills in that location were bare except for a bizarre network of roads.

 

After the talk and a round robin of diagrams of the neighborhoods in the meeting room, the group gathered around the model on display in the library’s main room. Local history came to life as people were able to identify their houses, or at least their location, and the lay of the land 80 or so years ago.

Glen Park, Diamonds Heights section of Scale Model

 

Glen Park historian Evelyn Rose discusses points of interest

 

Diamond Heights historian Hannah Simonson

For a complete discussion of the model and its history,
click here.

Assembled, the model measures 37 by 41 feet. Component parts are displayed in corresponding neighborhood libraries until March 25.

SF Chronicle Datebook notes “…the model was built to come apart, and seeing it in smaller quadrants elevated off the floor makes it easier to home in on the detail…Even without all of its pieces, this is considered to be the largest and most intact of any of a number of city models built across America by the WPA.”

However, there’s a movement afoot to at last have the entire assembled model on display.  There’s a petition online to get this done.  It’s on the Take Part page of SFMoma’s website.

Let your voice be heard.

Find your house.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

Upper Noe Neighbors Community Meeting Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m.
Upper Noe Recreation Center auditorium
295 Day Street
Agenda


San Francisco Department of Public Works logoDPW Love Our City
District 8 Cleanup Day
Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. to afternoon
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The Center for Creative Exploration
Explore all the Colors of the Rainbow
one-day workshop
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Weeding Party
June 21, 10 a.m. to noon
100 block of Arlington at Charles
Join neighbors on the North end of the Cut to keep down the weeds and beautify top to bottom. Tools, lunch and good company provided.



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Membership in the Glen Park Association is only $10 annually and can be purchased online.

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Glen Park Association is in Glen Park.
6 hours ago
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Tuesday was a star-studded day at Glen Park BART when Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde spent much of the afternoon filming a new romantic comedy titled “The Invite” in the station.

For more on this story..Check out the article by Elizabeth Weise on the Glen Park News Blog:
“Seth Rogen & Olivia Wilde filming at Glen Park BART”

Visit Link in Bio or our website: www.glenparkassociation.org
... See MoreSee Less

Tuesday was a star-studded day at Glen Park BART when Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde spent much of the afternoon filming a new romantic comedy titled “The Invite” in the station.

For more on this story..Check out the article by Elizabeth Weise on the Glen Park News Blog: 
“Seth Rogen & Olivia Wilde filming at Glen Park BART”

Visit Link in Bio or our website: www.glenparkassociation.org
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Glen Park Association is at San Francisco Public Library Glen Park Branch.
4 days ago
Glen Park Association

Photos and Fun courtesy of the Glen Park Library!
It was a great turnout at the Glen Park Library Open House on Saturday May 17th!

Thank you to all who attended and a big thank you to Glen Park Branch Library Manager Darren Heiber and his staff for a fantastic day!! 🙌🏽

San Francisco Public Library Arion Press | Artist Books Museum of Craft and Design Rafael Mandelman 🏳️‍🌈 #glenparklibrary #arionpress #museumofcraftanddesign #glenparksf #sanfrancisco #InCommunity
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Photos and Fun courtesy of the Glen Park Library! 
It was a great turnout at the Glen Park Library Open House on Saturday May 17th!

Thank you to all who attended and a big thank you to Glen Park Branch Library Manager Darren Heiber and his staff for a fantastic day!! 🙌🏽

@sfpubliclibrary @arionpress @museumofcraftanddesign @rafaelmandelmand8 #glenparklibrary #arionpress #museumofcraftanddesign #glenparksf #sanfrancisco #incommunity
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Blog Roll

Coyote Yipps
Friends of Upper Noe Recreation Center
Glen Park Neighborhoods History Project
Open SF History
Sunnyside Conservatory
Sunnyside History
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association
Tramps of San Francisco
Upper Noe Neighbors

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