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Art Deco San Francisco

The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger
Princeton Architectural Press By Therese Poletti
Photographs by Tom Paiva

9 x 12 in; 256 pp ; 210 color
Hardcover
Published in August, 2008
ISBN 9781568987569
ISBN10 1568987560

$55.00  

Art Deco San Francisco -- The Castro Theatre, the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Headquarters, 450 Sutter Medico-Dental Building—these masterpieces of San Francisco's Art Deco heritage are the work of one man: Timothy Pflueger. An immigrant's son with only a grade-school education, Pflueger began practicing architecture after San Francisco's 1906 earthquake. While his contemporaries looked to Beaux-Arts traditions to rebuild the city, he brought exotic Mayan, Asian, and Egyptian forms to buildings ranging from simple cocktail lounges to the city's first skyscrapers. Pflueger was one of the city's most prolific architects during his 40-year career. He designed two major downtown skyscrapers, two stock exchanges, several neighborhood theaters, movie palaces for four smaller cities (including the beloved Paramount in Oakland), some of the city's biggest schools, and at least 50 homes. His works include the San Francisco Stock Exchange, the ever-popular Top of the Mark, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the San Francisco World's Fair. It is a testament to his talent that many of his buildings still stand and many have been named landmarks.

Therese Poletti tells the fascinating story of Pflueger's life and work in Art Deco San Francisco. In lively detail, she relates how Pflueger built extravagant compositions in metal, concrete, and glass. She also tells the story behind the architecture: Pflueger's commissioning and support of muralist Diego Rivera, his association with photographer Ansel Adams and sculptor Ralph Stackpole, and his childhood friendship turned to adulthood sponsorship with San Francisco Mayor James "Sunny" Rolph Jr. Beautiful archival photography mixes with stunning new photography in this collection of a truly Californian, but ultimately American, story.

Therese Poletti has been a journalist for nearly 20 years. She has written for the San Jose Mercury News and currently works for MarketWatch as a technology columnist. She lives in San Francisco.