Ralston Independent Works Palace of Fine Arts and Ferry Tower, San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge

1. October 23, 2003 ---- "The Incredible case of Warren Billings and Tom Mooney". Presentation of a unique program of original films, stills, and narration at the San Francisco History Association meeting. Read here more about this story.

2. June 8, 2004 --- "Fremont Older" ---- Presentation of a unique program of original stills, and narration at the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society meeting. Read here more about this story.

3. September 12, 2006, 7:00 p.m.----- "This Date in San Francisco " --- Presentation of a unique program of original stills, and narration at the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society meeting.

The location: Hiram Johnson State Building, Milton Marks Conference Center, 350 McAllister Street, San Francisco.

4. August 21, 2007, 1:00 p.m.----- "Character References: Famous San Francisco Men and Women" --- Power Point program, Palo Alto Lions' Club meeting.

The location: University Club of Palo Alto
3227 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto. Telephone 650-493-3972

5. September 11, 2007, 7:00 p.m.----- "Character References: Famous San Francisco Men and Women" --- Power Point program at the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society meeting.

The location: Jewish Community Center of San Francisco,
3200 Califirnia Street at Presidio Avenue
Kanbar Hall

Some of the illustrations in Calendar 2008

Ralston Independent Works proudly announces that the 2008 edition of Calendar This Date in San Francisco is ready for shipment. Click here to order.

This Date is unique. An engagement calendar format, with space to note all those appointments - birthdays, doctor and dentist visits, anniversaries, etc. - is accompanied by over 320 entries of significant events in San Francisco's unique and fascinating history.

A few examples: January 12, 1876: Jack London is born; February 20, 1915: The Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) opens; July 14, 1933: 18-year-old Joe DiMaggio sets a new Pacific Coast (baseball) League record by hitting in 50 straight games; October 17, 1989: The Loma Prieta Earthquake causes massive damage and over 60 deaths.

Illustrations for This Date are taken from historical archives and John Ralston's own photography. Each month's illustration pertains to something that happened in that calendar month. For example, July (1933) being the month in which DiMaggio set a record, the July illustration features the San Francisco Seals in 1935, with 20-year-old DiMaggio hoisting a teammate on his shoulders.

Seals Manager Lefty O'Doul (waving cap) leads the San Francisco Seals in a cheer; Joe DiMaggio, far right.

2008 being an Olympics year, the summer months of This Date pay tribute to some of San Francisco's great athletes.

 

 

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St. Ignatius Church, Fulton Street.

Other months feature some of San Francisco's great architects and art works. October, for example, features the magnificent Spanish-inspired St. Ignatius Church, designed by architect Charles Devlin and rising dominantly above the Richmond District.

RIW © John Ralston photo

 

 

Chinatown Telephone Exchange Building, 2007.

For the month of March, This Date features the distinctive architecture of Chinatown, with the Chinese Telephone Exchange building, 743 Washington Street, accompanied by a New York Times tribute from March, 1929.

RIW © John Ralston photo.

 

 

 

Presentation "The Incredible Case of Warren Billings and Tom Mooney".

John and Lana Ralston presented a unique program of original films, stills, and narration at the San Francisco History Association meeting on October 23rd, 2003.

In 1916 San Francisco was bitterly divided over war in Europe, ethnic issues, and labor-management. On July 22nd during a patriotic "Preparedness Day" parade, a terrorist bomb exploded, killing ten bystanders and wounding forty others. In the hysteria that followed, two labor figures, Warren Billings and Tom Mooney, were arrested and charged with murder, along with several of their associates. Both were convicted, Billings being sentenced to life imprisonment and Mooney to hang. Shortly afterwards, editor Fremont Older's Bulletin published evidence that the chief prosecution witness in Mooney's trial had committed perjury, and a long, hard campaign began to free both men. The case was finally resolved after forty-five years, and is relevant today.



Two bodies lie under a sheet on the Steuart Street sidewalk after the Preparedness Day bombing.

 

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