Sac History Happenings: California History honors the Golden Gate Bridge and Julia Morgan

Sac History Happenings

News and developments in Sacramento and California history

July 23, 2012

California History honors the Golden Gate Bridge and Julia Morgan

Groundbreaking architecture, big and small, is celebrated in main articles of the latest edition of California History (the journal of the California Historical Society).

"Bridging the Golden Gate: a Photo Essay" (page 9) is a richly illustrated historical survey of the movement of people between Marin County and San Francisco from the earliest years of Spanish exploration up to the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. Vintage maps, photos, paintings, drawings, posters and other images vividly invoke the conception, design and construction of one of the architectural wonders of the world.

"Women Who Build: Julia Morgan & Women's Institutions" considers early feminism in the state by examining "the most expansive body of architecture designed of, by, and for women." Central to the piece is Julia Morgan, the first licensed female architect in California. Although best known for her work on the grandiose Hearst Castle, Morgan built dozens of buildings commissioned by women to serve and empower women and girls. These include: the Asilomar Conference Center; the Mills College library, gymnasium and bell tower; YWCA buildings in Pasadena, Riverside, Hollywood, Oakland and San Francisco's Chinatown; and the Women's City Club in Berkeley.

Locally, Morgan is known for her design of the Goethe House (aka Julia Morgan House) at 3731 T St. in the Elmhurst neighborhood. The 7,200 square-foot historic treasure was put up for sale this year by the Sacramento State College Foundation. Current asking price: $1.7 million.

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California and Sacramento have a long, rich, vibrant history. And our region is blessed with an abundance of historical resources maintained by museums, libraries, archives and societies. This blog aims to alert readers to the latest developments in local/state historical education and research.

Send tips concerning upcoming exhibits, tours, lectures and meetings, as well as new books, magazine articles and online collections to the blog's contributors.

The Contributors:

Michael Dolgushkin

Michael Dolgushkin is Manuscript Librarian at the California State Library History Section. He is co-author of San Francisco's California Street Cable Cars and is a frequent contributor to the California State Library Foundation Bulletin. Contact him at mdolgushkin@library.ca.gov.

Amanda Graham is a Certified Archivist working in the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library. She earned a BS in History from Southern Oregon University and a MS in Information Studies with an emphasis in archives from The University of Texas at Austin. Contact her at agraham@saclibrary.org.

Pete Basofin is Director of Editorial Research at The Sacramento Bee. He previously worked at The St. Petersburg Times and Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune. Contact him at pbasofin@sacbee.com.

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