Original Blueprints of Famous California 1920 Theater Found in Garage Cabinet
A new homeowner in San Francisco made an incredible discovery when unpacking boxes in her newly purchased home: the nearly 100-year-old blueprints of the famous Fox Theater in San Francisco that was built in 1929 and torn down 34 years later. A few cabinets in the garage caught Kiley Brokaw’s eye, and she decided to sift through their contents. She found two large yellowing prints hidden inside an old cabinet, covered in dust and cobwebs. There was a handwritten tag attached to one of them that read “Orig Fox Theater.” They were original blueprints of the iconic San Francisco movie palace designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb in 1929.
The 4,651-seat theater was known for its opulent design. It had a gold-leafed ceiling, detailed tapestries and a Wurlitzer organ. It was torn down in 1963. A 29-story office building and a Starbucks stand in its place. Brokaw has donated the blueprints to the San Francisco Public Library’s History Center.
Photo: SFGate.com, Kiley Brokaw
One response to “Original Blueprints of Famous California 1920 Theater Found in Garage Cabinet ”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Featured Articles
It breaks my heart to read about these magnificent buildings being torn down, especially just to make room for a boxy office building. The artistry, workmanship, skill and class that went into this theatre and other buildings like it will soon be lost forever.