-->

Friday, January 30, 2009

Dizzy Atmosphere

I came across the work of photographer Dave Glass who goes by the name Dizzy Atmosphere during my Flickr searches for images of the Excelsior and Oakland. He has an amazing collection of photos shot in diverse locations but of course given my penchant for hometown nostalgia I chose to focus on the images shot in San Francisco and Oakland.
Teen Party Scene, San Franciscomy sister's birthday party, Sunset dist. San Francisco. 1961
Mission District Flats378 Capp Street, Mission District, San Francisco
"I then lived in the cottage behind these flats, woman on top floor was the landlady." 1970Jesse Jackson, San FranciscoRev. Jesse Jackson speaks to African-American community leaders at the Third Baptist Church, McAllister and Pierce, Western Addition district, San Francisco, during his run for president. May 17 1988.
Hare Krishna, San Francisco Annual Hare Krishna gathering, Golden Gate Park San Francisco, California, 1977
Chinatown, San Francisco
Students of Central Chinese High School founded 1888, Chinatown San Francisco, 1969
People's Temple, San Francisco
This was the headquarters of Rev. Jim Jones' People's Temple,The Rev. Jones and his flock eventually left this building, located at 1859 Geary Boulevard for the South American jungles of Jonestown, Guyana,1979
Oakland, California
Sidewalk sale, West Oakland, California, 1977
Row Housing, Oakland California
Center Street, West Oakland
Football wives, Oakland California
Tailgate party before Raiders - Miami NFL football game, Nov. 2, 1980.Oakland Coliseum, Oakland California
West Oakland

Wood Street, west Oakland, California, 1981
Earthquake Damages Highway 880
Oakland, California, October 1989
Street scene Larkin St. San FranciscoLarkin and Hyde Streets,Civic Center, San Francisco, 1992

I wrote him to ask for permission to use his photographs and he wrote me a nice little note about his background:
"Our family emigrated from Poland in the 1940s, I was the first of our family born in San Francisco where I now live.
Growing up the the Kodak Brownie era, I always loved photography. Eventually I studied photography at City College San Francisco and earned an AA degree in photojournalism in 1971. I was a member to the National Press Association and worked freelance for a while, but ended up working blue collar jobs to support my family. Photography then became a hobby, and still is today. I have an archive of a few thousand black white film images from the late 1960s until today that I am slowly scanning and posting online.
My photographs are mostly documentary in nature, to compliment my interest in California history. My goal is to document San Francisco, California, and the Western US in photographs for future generations."
It's weird how in the post digital age I find myself longing for photos of the banal things from my childhood or the recent past of where I grew up. I scan odd or unflattering old photos for background details like architecture, signage and packaging design of bi-gone eras. Save your digital images! Scan your old pics! There are hidden treasures.

ps. I am working on a series of pictures from Clubs of the not so distant past. Get ready for cringe-worthy pics from Club ID and Club Dare and Neon. Unfortunately Popscene, Fake and Sixxxteen were all from the pre-digital era or we could really have some fun.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Jennifer Jason Leigh is pretty

I'm having a Jennifer Jason Leigh moment lately.

I wouldn't kick that Noah Baumbach at of bed either, just sayin'

ps dorkiest thing I have ever said, but what, it's true.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Family Pride: Rossi Antiques

Guess who is in Ye Olde Timey San Francisco Chronicle today? Yes that is right my dad, Luigi!
Check out the article about our family business Rossi Antiques by Nancy Davis Kho: Luis Rossi runs Old World workshop in Bayview
Luis Rossi displays the side of a Sicilian vegetable cart made in the 18th century. Rossi and his staff build and restore antiques in their San Francisco studio.Gabriel Aguilar cleans the gilding on a restored mirror that is among the antiques being worked on at Luis Rossi's studio.Raul Osegera works on a Frascaiti chair in the spray booth at Luis Rossi Antiques in San Francisco's Bayview district, where the staff specializes in restoring Old World pieces.Raul Monrox fits a 17th century mantelpiece that is being restored at Luis Rossi Antiques in San Francisco.Phillip Ng, restores the painting on this piece by using Raze Chinosseri.Phillip Ng restores paint on this antique piece. He is among the 43 workers at Luis Rossi Antiques. Saul Valera works on a reproduction of a mirror in the huge space of Luis Rossi Antiques in San Francisco, which builds and restores furniture, including rare 18 century pieces.

Does it look like a crafty child's wonderland? Believe me it is. Imagine writing your name in the half an inch saw dust coating on everything, hiding in 17th century armoires and wading through a hot tub sized box of Styrofoam peanuts, not to mention GOLD LEAFING, Liberace's lawn furniture, ancient electroshock machines, Ann Getty's Sailor's Valentines* and many other creepy awesome old things. I will start arranging paid tours next time I am back in San Francisco.

*Sailor's Valentine Post coming soon.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Harrad Experiment

um, do you know about this movie? I don't know where to start. The Harrad Experiment , okay... here goes, it's a crazy movie from 1973 about some sort of sex college where paired with a 'roommate' of the opposite sex and are expected to explore your sexuality together, but also just like go to normal classes and stuff. First of all the unfortunately the version I saw is some lame edited version available from Netflix which has a lot of the nudity and scandal removed, but I think I still got the gist of it. Basically this movie stars Don Johnson and Tippi Hendren. Now if you're like me, and I'm guessing you are, you read Pamela Des Barres classic groupie memoir I'm With The Band* in your youth and you therefore know that after Pam sexed all kinds of insane rock stars like say, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Page and Mick Jagger she went on to have a serious committed relationship with Don Johnson. Now if you're like me, and once again I'm guessing you are, your teenage brain probably thought "That douche from Miami Vice! Why Pam? Why?!?!". Now I think these stills from The Harrad Experiement will help you to understand that Don Johnson was insanely smoking hot. Now back up, did you notice that I mentioned that this movie also stars Tippi Hendren, as in Melanie Griffith's mother. Apparently Melanie was an uncredited extra on the film and this is when she met Johnson who then proceeded to leave Pam for Melanie when she was *cough* fourteen years old. Yes that part of the book brook my heart too!
Stanley arrives and introduces himself to his angelic roommate Sheilaand proceeds to disrobe
Naked Yoga
The late great Bruno Kirby.

he seduces this girl with his knowledge of stamp collecting
When she takes off her shirt he says "why do you wear that?" referring to her bra. Wha?
Outfits
I love her

Naked Pool Party
Also he has a green thumb
They go to some weird performance type thing
Trying to seduce his future wife's mother
She wants to do it out in the open, he learns his lesson
I found this story on The Harrad Experiment after I had already done these screencaps but check it out, it has some stuff I wasn't able to get: The Sex Manifesto for the Free Love Generation
*someone left a copy of this book in my car when I was back in San Francisco. Whoever it was it somehow ended up at Jesse's.