Archive of 45+ Strike Photos from the San Francisco Examiner Ca. 1937-1990
San Francisco: The San Francisco Examiner, 1937-1990. Roughly 45 photographs, ranging from 7x9" to 13.5x8" Most have captions affixed to versos. Generally very good or better with occasional printer's markings and light wear.
A tremendous assemblage of photographs, mainly from the morgue of the old San Francisco Examiner paper. This very unusual and fascinating collection consists of original news photos of strikes and picket lines in the city at various hotels and restaurants, spanning some six decades. These are quite vivid and depict the tensions and passions of the time, with occasional flashes of humor. Includes:
1. Hotel strikers’ mass meeting in Exposition Auditorium. 1937. 13.5” x 7”.
2. “Back to work” Jolly group of cheering men and women going back to work after the SF strike was settled. 1937. 11.75” x 8”.
3. Pickets in front of Tarantino’s 1984, 11.75” x 7.5”.
4. Guests at the St. Francis crossing the picket line. 1980. 13.5” x 8”.
5. Pickets rocking a car at the St. Francis parking parage. REALLY good action shot! 1980. 8.25” x 12”.
6. Beautiful shot of pickets in front of the landmark Mark Hopkins Hotel. 1941. 12.5” x 8”.
7. Hilarious view of “Mr. Upper Crust” played by actor Kevin O’Connor who has joined food worker pickets in front of The Bohemian Club 1984. Couldn’t they afford to pay a decent wage? 9” x 6”.
8. Close up of an angry picket at the Hyatt on Union Square after he was told to behave. 1980. 9” x 6”.
9. Close-up of picketing cook at the Sir Francis Drake. 1980. 10” x 8”.
10. Pickets and police and a car in the driveway of the Hyatt Regency…no one looks very happy. 13” x 7”. 1980.
11. Great shot of a striker in front of the Tadich Grill taking a break to eat a sandwich. Pile of picket signs in the foreground. 13”x 7’. 1984.
12. Really fine shot of a picket line in front of The Sir Francis Drake all holding signs. A wonderful melting-pot of Americans…we see people of various extractions including Chinese, white and black. Upbeat energy here! 10” x 7”. 1994.
13. Sit-down strikers and pickets at the Parc 55 with police on hand. Things look calm at least for the moment. 10” x 8”. 1992.
14. Angry woman picket at the Hyatt on Union Square…she is beating on a small drum with a stick. Caption notes that the strikers were using drums, whistles and other noise makers until stopped by the police. 9.25” x 7”. 1980.
15. Car leaving Scoma’s Restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf being confronted by a line of pickets with signs…the pickets are mostly of Asian ancestry. 8.75” x 7”. 1984.
16. Woman pushing her baggage cart across Post Street having just checked out of the St. Francis. Pickets in the background and another jaywalker who looks like both feet are off the ground. 9.5” x 7”. 1980.
17. Two guests doing their best to ignore pickets at the main entrance to the St. Francis on Post. They look like they will be glad to get home. 10.5” x 6.75”. 1980.
18. Sly-looking striker at the Hyatt on Union Square peeking out from behind a picket sign, with his noise-maker at the ready (see #14 above). 9.5” x 7”. 1980.
19. Fine action shot of four young women pickets with signs in front of the Mark Hopkins yelling at a woman to “check out.” 1994. 9/5” x 7.5”.
20. Four strikers sitting on milk crates in front of the Sir Francis Drake waiting to hear a strike settlement report. Interesting that they are all bundled up in overcoats as they “huddle against the chill” (according to the caption)..the date is AUGUST TENTH of 1980….only in SF would you feel “the chill” in August. 10” x 8”.
21. Close up of pickets in front of The Mark Hopkins including one Andres Martinez, “he works at the Fairmont [across the street] and was out supporting the strikers. 10” x 7.5” 1994. Solidarity! 10” x 8”.
22. Close-up of the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain front door with a sign affixed stating that the members of Local 2 are on strike. '10” x 8”. 1984.
23. Excellent shot of pickets with signs at the Sir Francis Drake…most are hollering or chanting and the crowd seems to be about 50-50 men and women. Non-nonsense woman in the foreground is ID’d as “Eunella James” 1994. 10” x 7”.
24. Super image of strikers with signs in front of the Empire Hotel (still there in SF but under a different name). They are dressed in old-timey clothes…the women look like they are from the 1890s in their Sunday best and the man is garbed like Davey Crockett, complete with coonskin hat. Their funny picket signs say “I got this old waiting for a raise” and “We are modern compared to this hotel’s Labor Policy.” September 1941. 11.5” x 7”.
25. Strikers at Kezar Pavilion about to meet to vote on settling. One woman is holding up a home-made sign: “Keep your dignity – Vote No.” 10” x 8”. 1980
26. Scary action shot of a woman, apparently a passer-by, caught in the midst of strikers protesting a settlement by Local 2. A man in the foreground has a bullhorn and his hand is slightly blurry as if he’s about the hit somebody. An older woman on the left seems to be trying to calm him down. 1980. 10” x 8’.
27. Same day, same place. Very angry striker on top of a car with a bullhorn protesting the Local 2 settlement. A man to the right has extended is arm as if to attempt to cool things down. A very vivid image.
28. Interesting contrast…two well-dressed, middle-aged strikers in front of the Chancellor Hotel…no signs, just armbands and sashes saying “picket.” The photographer set this one up very cleverly…the giant lamp post which bisects the image has a Community Chest poster on it urging you to “give” to help those in need. Not surprising that this is 1941 not 1981 or 1991. October 1941 to be exact…I wonder if this was still the same hotel strike as depicted in #24 above? 10” x 8”.
29. Vivid action shot of strikers wearing white masks and carrying signs in front of the Parc 55. Odd POV for the photographer…looking up at the scene as if he were either crouching or lying down. 1992. 10” x 7.5”
30. Culinary striker with sign “Local 2 Cooks -4- a Good Contract.” Nice close-up of the man’s face. 11.5” x 6.5”. 1984.
31. Fantastic post-strike shot of women guests returning to the Palace Hotel after a long hotel worker strike…three women are handing their suitcases to a uniformed bellman who looks sort of dazed but pleased. 13” x 8”. 1937!
32. This is a gem. A picket in front of the St. Francis who is dressed like a robot! He has a sign on his chest which says “We’ll fight it out on this line if it takes all summer…yes and all winter, too. We can’t lose but with your aid we can win NOW!” The men and women around him are variously amused and/or bewildered. October 1941. 12” x 8.5”. My fave image in this collection.
33. Very evocative image of a crowd in front of either the Mark Hopkins or the Fairmont with a trailer sign behind them saying “Defend America…Support our struggle to maintain the American standard of living. Strike.” The historic Flood Mansion is visible in the background. Dated September 16, 1941. An even greater struggle was about to begin. 8” x 12.5”
34. Bitterly amusing shot of strikers in front of the fancy Stanford Court Hotel on California Street on Nob Hill. Part of a city-wide hotel worker strike in 1980. Two of the home-made signs the strikers are carrying are worth noting… One says “$100 ROOMS $2.00 FOR MAIDS” and the other simply says “SQUEEZE YOUR OWN JUICE”! 7” x 10.5”
35. A group of well-dressed men standing in front of the St. Francis as a woman pedestrian strolls by under the St. Francis awning (so this would be Post Street). What might surprise some is that these gents in nice suits, hats and ties are all strikers, not refugees from The Bohemian Club. No surprise that this sepia-tone image is from 1937. 11.25 “ 8.25”/
36. Excellent shot of the main entrance to the Manx Hotel on Post with strikers and passers-by under the entrance overhang. What makes this a great shot is that it was taken from an upper floor of a building across the street to give attention to the banner which has been strung across the third-floor fire escape: “This is Free America.” 1937. 11/75” x 8.75”.
37. Fantastic and joyous shot of strikers in front of the Mark Hopkins in 1941. A chorus line of four strikers in very short slips are dancing in front of a smiling male striker holding up a sign which says “Don’t you think Wages should be Higher?” The rest of the joke is that while this was going on, the Junior League of SF was having their own fashion show inside, probably in the fancy Peacock Court. There is quite a crowd watching these strikers and 99% of them have big grins on their faces. 7.5” x 12”.
38. A few strikers at the driveway entrance to the Mark Hopkins, September 19, 1941. The caption notes that 300 strikers had been there the day before. I don’t know my old cars but there seems to be about a 1940 black Caddy just pulling into the driveway (making sure not to bump any strikers). There is also a slick two-door coupe parked in the driveway. 8” x 11”.
39. Wonderful image of striking workers entering strike headquarters to vote on settling. I can’t ID the street but the meetings seems to be in the lodge hall of the Loyal Order of Moose. Every man in site is wearing a suit and hat and nearly all have ties as well. The women are also well-dressed so no surprise this is another one from 1937. 8” x 12”.
40. Guests registering at the Mark Hopkins, presumably after some kind of labor settlement. 1937. 11” x 8”.
41. Pickets in front of the Hotel Empire on Sutter with the great overhang urging one and all to “Visit the Sky Room.” Pickets are all in suits including the women. Yes, it’s 1941. What is odd is that no one is carrying a sign. 8” x 13”
42. Two friendly looking women and a bartender…the women each have a drink and the bartender is making another drink for somebody else. They are ID’d on the back as Jim Welch, Alice Conaty and Emmy Lou Hols. There are stamped and written notes on back saying “Hotel strike” but that’s all I can tell you other than it’s a great image.
Price: $850.00