San Francisco, Portrait of a City: 1940-1960
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San Francisco, Portrait of a City: 1940-1960 Hardcover – September 16, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Fred Lyon has been photographing for 7 decades now, fourth generation San Franciscan, and found his calling in his youth as an apprentice at Gabriel Moulin's Studio before enrolling in Art Center in Los Angeles. Lyon has done photographic work for the Navy during WWII and for numerous fashion and home and garden magazines. Lyon's exhibitions include Palace Legion of Honor, Arts Institute in Chicago, and a LIFE magazine retrospective.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
jpcooper
on September 18, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Delightful book. An authentic peek into early, post-war San Francisco. Fred Lyon really captures the soul of the city in this collection of photographs. The Golden Gate Bridge, Market Street, Chinatown, North Beach (the Italian Settlement), The Palace Hotel, The Barbary Coast, Fisherman's Wharf and that mysterious fog that can turn "The City" into a film noir set in a matter of minutes. All this and more are present in this well produced work. For those of us who grew up in or around this intriguing metropolis these images remind us of why we loved that town so much. I use the word "loved" because the city depicted between the covers of this book no longer exists. Not that San Francisco isn't still appealing - it is. You couldn't possibly destroy it's natural beauty. But it is no longer the blue-collar city it once was with a manufacturing and industrial base, maritime activity, breweries, coffee roasting, and most significantly, all those beautiful families and kids.
Urban renewal, gentrification and high tech have changed San Francisco's face and flavor forever. The old ethnic neighborhoods with their unique sights and sounds exist as only shadows of their former selves. The remnants preserved for little more than the sake of tourism. I grew up across the bay from "The City" and when these pictures were taken a visit to San Francisco was a real event. We wore our Sunday best and our mother would not be caught dead without her finest hat and whitest gloves in full view. Window shopping in all those grand old department stores was an experience I've never forgotten (especially at Christmas). Children instinctively knew these trips demanded our absolute best behavior.Read more ›
Urban renewal, gentrification and high tech have changed San Francisco's face and flavor forever. The old ethnic neighborhoods with their unique sights and sounds exist as only shadows of their former selves. The remnants preserved for little more than the sake of tourism. I grew up across the bay from "The City" and when these pictures were taken a visit to San Francisco was a real event. We wore our Sunday best and our mother would not be caught dead without her finest hat and whitest gloves in full view. Window shopping in all those grand old department stores was an experience I've never forgotten (especially at Christmas). Children instinctively knew these trips demanded our absolute best behavior.Read more ›
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
Jazz1
on September 16, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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I'm not a native of San Francisco. I started visiting this wonderful city in the 70's. The photos in B&W have a "street photography" aura that delves deep into the heart of the city as I would have imagined it before I set foot in the city. The binding is very good quality and the print quality is excellent. I plan to present this book as a gift to my spouse whose family have lived in and around
San Francisco for several generations.
I almost wish the captions identified the year the photos were taken. However it is fun to speculate on the year based on the scenes or people's clothing. That speculation only draws me deeper into the photos.
The book was well worth the wait! I will most likely purchase the Kindle edition for my iPad Air for myself. But the paper edition is probably the way to go if you are planning on only one copy.
San Francisco for several generations.
I almost wish the captions identified the year the photos were taken. However it is fun to speculate on the year based on the scenes or people's clothing. That speculation only draws me deeper into the photos.
The book was well worth the wait! I will most likely purchase the Kindle edition for my iPad Air for myself. But the paper edition is probably the way to go if you are planning on only one copy.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
Rhio9
on September 20, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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This is an incredible book of photos, and the back stories are really interesting, too. Beautifully printed and hardbound, it is a must-have for anyone interested in photography, especially for anyone who is totally in love with the City! For those of us who consider San Francisco to be our Mistress, one book of photos is never enough. In fact, a whole entire library of a collection of books about the Bay area is never going to be enough! But whether you’re new to the City, or a long-time resident, or a traveler who loves to spend endless hours discovering San Francisco’s history, its magnificence and charm, Fred Lyon’s book covering periods between 1940 and 1960 is a great place to start. There’s plenty more where that came from!.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
thalia
on September 16, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Absolutely Beautiful Photos! Makes such a good coffee table book, but I'm going to figure out a way to get them on my wall.
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By
Neil K. Drebena
on September 26, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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Yesterday I received the copy of Fred Lyon's "San Francisco: Portrait of a City, 1940 - 1960, that I had ordered from Amazon. To be honest, I couldn't put it down until I had been through it twice. This is a fantastic book and well worth the space on any San Francisco bookshelf. Get a copy!
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