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
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.
.
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.
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.
|