Tag Archives: San Francisco

San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts

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As a child, I was a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder (author and heroine of the Little House on the Prairie series). I read all of her books, biographies about her, the books about her daughter, and as they began to be released the books about her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. I also researched her family tree and found her ancestors back to the time of Henry VIII.

I no longer remember the exact order of events. When I was 12 (almost on my birthday), we moved to California. Either before or after that event, I read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book West from Home, which are letters to her husband written on a visit to her daughter, a reporter in San Francisco, in 1915. Because Laura had visited the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition (World’s Fair) in San Francisco, I wanted to go visit what was left of it. I never got the chance while I lived in California. Years later, I finally got there.

Sitting by the lagoon of the Palace of Fine Arts was very peaceful, with the small fountain splashing and birds chirping and cawing. As I sat there enjoying the scene, there was a moment when I could almost picture Laura Ingalls Wilder and other women of the 1910s in their multi-layer dresses, hats or bonnets, and gloves strolling past in a promenade and gazing with wonder at the sights around them.

The Palace of Fine Arts was of a scale to inspire awe and intimidation. It was far more massive and taller than I had imagined. Walking underneath the rotunda, I felt insignificant. Are such large structures built to show us the insignificance of humanity? And yet, they are designed and constructed by humans, which means we create what makes us feel our own insignificance.

Pittsburgh Steps

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According to an article in today’s Post-Gazette, not only does Pittsburgh have more bridges than any other city, but it also has more steps (at least compared to US cities).  Pittsburgh has 712 flights of steps, while San Francisco only has 168.  After I walk all 446 of Pittsburgh’s bridges (at least all of them that are pedestrian accessible), perhaps my next goal should be to walk all of the steps.  I have considered doing this in the past, but have hesitated because of the condition of some of the steps.  The one pictured above is in good condition, but more often than not the steps are over grown, cracked, perhaps missing a step or two, and the railings are rusted and look like they’ll crumble to the touch.  The steps were frequently used in the past by mill workers who lived up or over the hill from the mill, but since cars became more common and the mills closed, they mostly sit vacant.  As there isn’t much demand for them, it is understandable that the city doesn’t spend the few dollars it has on their maintenance.  All the same it is a shame to see them deteriorate.

However, that may all be about to change!  Today’s article is about a group of young people who created an organization, Community Steps Cooperative to clean the steps and make them safe.  An eventual goal is to make them attractive destinations a side-effect of which may be that they rival San Francisco’s steps.  I am very excited to see a group take initiative on this and I hope to be able to participate in some of the volunteer events to help clean the steps!