Golden Gate Park:

WEEK 4:

With 13 million visitors annually, Golden Gate Park is the third most visited city park in the United States after Central Park in New York City and Lincoln Park in Chicago. This beautiful park is in fact 20% larger in size than Central Park. [1] In the 1860‘s San Francisco decided a park similar to Central Park’s was important for the city. It wasn’t always an area filled with beautiful greenery and large trees; originally the land was sand dunes that were known as the “Outside Lands.” This uninhabitable land, owned at the time by the U.S. government, was petitioned to be declared part of San Francisco.  William Hammond Hall was appointed engineer of the park, and because of the beautiful place he built, San Francisco locals and tourists are able to enjoy this wonderful place. It also served as a place for refuges, during the 1906 earthquake, to stay as thousands were displaced from their homes. This park is significant to the history of San Francisco, and is as much if not more of an icon to the city nowadays. The 1000 acres the park entails brings about something for all people of San Francisco to enjoy. There is something for everyone to do here at the park, a reason why it is a popular destination for people, during all times of the year.

Today Golden Gate hosts many different activities, such as lawn bowling, tennis, baseball and softball, croquet, and so much more. It is home to many famous museums and gardens including the DeYoung Museum, Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Gardens, California Academy of Sciences, and many famous sculptures. Though we didn’t enter into the museums, we were able to observe them from the outside. Each museum we saw had its own original feel to it. They were all very abstract. For example the design of the DeYoung museum is very abnormal, with the outside constructed of natural materials, including copper, stone, wood and glass. In fact the buildings copper outside is created to replicate the impression made by light filtering through the tree canopy in the park. The sign outside the museum is just as abstract as its architecture. One thing I loved about the outside of this museum was the small circular tags, which recognized the people that had donated to the museum. Until you approach the wall very closely, you aren’t able to read the names of these people. As you stand far away the wall simply looks like a glass wall with a textured polkadot wall. The other buildings we visited all had different feels to them as well. The Japanese Tea Gardens lacked any big signs advertising what the place was; it is mostly identifiable by the breath taking Japanese style entryway. The Conservatory of Flowers had very simple signage to match the clean, all white, Victorian building that houses thousands of flowers inside.

The park has statues placed all around the area. Some of these statues are to remember people who helped with the creation of the park, some were donated from different places, like England, and others serve as remembrances for people. Through looking at the sculptures and the statues, one can see the history that was involved in this park. As most of them are old, dating back over a century if not more, the statues and sculptures are representing the past. For example, the Gustave Dore Vase, a 6,000 pound cast bronze vessel, was displayed at the Midwinter Fair that was held in Golden Gate Park. Another statue was of John McLaren, a horticulturist who served as the superintendent of the park for 53 years. McLaren dedicated much of his life to the development of the park. His statue is found standing back in the plants of a garden along a long quiet path, a unique place if you ask me. Statues make up a large part of the art in Golden Gate Park.

Signage is important to the development of the Golden Gate Park for many reasons. The park is gigantic, without maps around the area people, including me, would be lost instantly. While on my walk through Golden Gate Park I found that I wasn’t able to find a few monuments and destinations without the help of the maps that were posted around the area. The signs help to pay tribute to many people, as well as recognize many people in history. On almost every park bench there were little plaques recognizing someone who had died. I felt as if the memorials and signs recognizing the deceased, gives the park a very peaceful atmosphere. However, unlike the other sites we have visited, Golden Gate Park didn’t have as many signs as others. Though there are maps and little plaques telling you about the statues, you don’t see many signs for advertisements. It was refreshing to not be overwhelmed with signs everywhere and with the lack of signage we were able to enjoy the important thing about the park; the beautiful nature.

Millions of people come to visit the park every year, however only a few of those millions know of all the amazing things that the park entails. Golden Gate Park offers a wide variety of art, museums, monuments, recreational activity and scenery. I have been visiting San Francisco for many years, and Golden Gate Park has always been a stop we make while on our trip. Though I have come many times, I was fascinated to learn about, and go to new places I had never been too. I am excited to be able to go visit the museums I haven’t yet visited, to be able to go for long walk and runs along the beautiful trails, and to escape campus to visit the lush, green park. 

On Sunday, September 30th, a week from our field trip, I attended a concert called Now and Zen in Golden Gate Park. I spent 5 hours in the park, soaking up the warm California weather, listening to amazing music. I was extremely satisfied that I was able to navigate myself perfectly to and from the park. I found myself able to direct all the people I was with, and was able to recognize my surroundings, for example where Haight Street was in relation to Golden Gate Park. I found this a notable moment in my last month and a half in San Francisco, and a key moment in this course. For the first time, because of all the exploring we have done in these areas, I was totally familiar with where I was. I must say it felt good to finally feel like a local.

[1] Stacy Asher Presentation 

Haight- Ashbury

WEEK 3:
The intersection of Haight and Ashbury stands as a crossroad in San Francisco's history. The bohemian atmosphere is seen in all aspects of the district, with the clothes the people wear, the shops and the art that engulfs the scene. Back in the 60’s the streets were filled with young people coming to the area to enjoy the hippie, drug and music movement. It was a place where people got away from the American dream and the Vietnam War, and came together to celebrate love, music, peace and so much more. Though the area began clearing out, the community still lives on. Haight- Ashbury is one of the most famous countercultures today. A counterculture is a culture where values and norms of behavior deviate from the mainstream society. The tie-dye and peace signs I saw everywhere stand as a symbol for the neighborhood I very much enjoyed visiting. 

Over forty years have passed since the “Summer of Love,” but it still lives on throughout the carefree, colorful, unique culture. Tourists come to this district to get a feel about what it was like to have been in Haight-Ashbury during the 60’s. Aspects of the peace loving, hippie feeling, pot burning, acid dropping era can be seen upon entering the streets. Many people I saw also wore old hippie styles and psychedelic clothes, which were probably purchased in the vintage thrift shops all along the roads. The people of the Haight, are living on as they did in the past; defying society, and not conforming to everyone else. So many people I saw sat on the street holding up cardboard signs, asking for a few bucks for weed or some change for some liquor. Interestingly enough, I felt that while in this district, this type of soliciting is acceptable, whereas in other places people turn their heads not even considering giving a few bucks or sharing a cigarette. The culture of Haight- Ashbury is as unique as the distinct stores that fill the district.  

Every sign is full of color and almost all have intricate designs. The signs vary in size but none I saw lack the vibrant, eye catching bright colors that surround you on the streets. I was even fortunate enough to see an artist painting a wall as we toured the area; it was neat to see the art coming alive. I saw signs in windows of houses supporting gay rights, the abolishment of the war, and remembrances of how life was in the 1960‘s. I also saw signs coming out of the walls or on the sidewalks, such as a giant orange dinosaur standing outside of a store or a seductive pair of legs sticking out of the wall. I felt the signs didn’t compete with each other as much as they did blend in together to form a very vibrant ambiance.

One of the signs that stuck out to me most was a painting of Bob Marley, along with some of his lyrics. The lyrics read “don’t gain the world and lose your soul. Wisdom is better than silver and gold,” from his song Zion Train. I enjoyed this piece of art because I liked the meaning of the words. I also felt they related to the message of the Haight-Ashbury counterculture. People came to the area to escape the American dream, where on top of many things, money was of utmost importance. Having a sign like this is a remembrance to what the people came to the area for and it also serves as a reminder of what the area symbolizes. And finally, I saw memorabilia's for deceased artists on the streets. The signs were put up around posts, which surrounded plants and covered in wrapping so they couldn’t be damaged. I saw one for Amy Winehouse, with a bunch of pictures, magazine and newspaper articles and quotes about her. This showed how music was, and still is very influential in this area. Many signs stuck out to me while I strolled along the streets, that it’s easy to say they were all very interesting. 

I found this district fascinating for the fact that it held so much history. But that’s not just it, it’s the fact that the district lives on in its history. It doesn’t stand there as so many other places do, where it’s a representation of what it was. Haight- Ashbury still represents the hippie and love era of the 1960’s, the counterculture wasn’t entirely left in the past. It is an area where culture and history meld together to form an awesome place to visit. As it is only a few blocks away from the USF campus, I look forward to being able to continue to explore the area, the shops and the restaurants.  

University Of San Francisco Campus

WEEK 2:

The destination of San Francisco that we toured this week was in our own backyard. We explored the University of San Francisco campus and the area surrounding it. As we walked around the hilly streets of this area, many different signs stood out to me and quickly caught my eye. However, one in particular that was very noticeable was the Starbucks Coffee sign, hanging over the corner of the busy intersection of Masonic Street and Fulton Street. Around this toured destination there were so many different types of signs, anywhere from signs for small businesses to political signs advertising Barack Obama’s campaign, which all give this particular area of San Francisco its own unique feel.

The Starbucks sign I saw is not only very familiar to me, but it is an iconic symbol of my home. Starbucks Coffee was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1971. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I am able to find a Starbucks in nearly every grocery store, every shopping complex and on numerous street corners. This particular sign read “Starbucks Coffee” in its well-known green font, standing massively on a beautiful symbolic San Francisco type house. One thing I found interesting about this sign was the combination of the worldly, iconic Starbucks Coffee logo with the building that can be identified so easily as “San Francisco” architecture. When looking closely at this sign, there is a map of the world in the background, which can tell a person how franchised this coffee shop is. This sign is an example of public signage, for a corporate business. Public signage addresses a universal crowd, seeing as Starbucks shops are all over the world.

There are nearly 20,000 Starbucks coffee shops around the world. It is the most well-known coffee shop around, and can be found nearly everywhere you look. Interestingly enough, the Starbucks symbol is so recognizable that the company doesn’t even put their name on the coffee cups anymore. This shows that not all signs need to have writing on them to be recognized. Almost all people, when walking down streets can recognize a Starbucks coffee cup in one's hand. The fact that the logo is placed on the cups shows that not only are Starbucks Coffee public and corporate signage, but it is also moveable signage.

As we toured the University area, I imagined what it was like 100 years ago. Obviously back then the coffee shop wouldn't have been there, however the campus was. College campuses are relatively busy places, so I imagine the area surrounding the University has always been occupied by many people. The busyness allows for businesses, such as Starbucks to thrive in areas as such. Throughout the century, the area surrounding the University of San Francisco has changed drastically, with the coffee shop being a more modern icon. It shows how the old history of the campus and parts of the area around it are melting in with newer, more modern aspects of today’s society. 

It was nice being able to tour the area around the University, so I can become as familiar with my surroundings as possible. The campus and the area surrounding has it’s own feel to it, that would differ from other campuses. I was able to observe all types of signage on this excursion, but the sign that stood out most to me was the well known Starbucks Coffee sign. The simplistic, iconic sign reminded me of home but also showed me that a sign can be universally known by all around the world. I continue to look forward to what next week's adventure around the city will entail.

WEEK 1:

What do you want to see when touring the nieghborhoods of San Francisco? How is studying signage in San Francisco ethnography or visual anthropology?

Through touring a city, no matter how familiar you are with it, you can always find new unknown areas that interest you. Walking down side streets and alleys or touring the city by different means of transportation can show you different things about a place that you never knew existed. I am very excited to be able to tour around San Francisco this semester, observing different neighborhoods and districts and observing the different types of signage that contributes to the distinct characteristics of these places. Signage is a major part of a persons every day lives, no matter where you go there are signs everywhere. Signs can be right in front of you, they could be on the ground where you are walking or they could be even on a bus or some other type of transportation being advertised to all that are passing by. People can gain things such as direction, information or can gain interest in things through appealing signs. Signage can tell you many things, for instance about the history of an area, what type of district you’re at and also can easily direct you to places with simple things like street signs. These are just a few things signs do for us in our every day lives, but I’m excited to be able to really observe the root of types of signage throughout the city.

I am looking forward to seeing many things while touring the neighborhoods of San Francisco. One thing I’m interested in seeing, is how signs are made to be visually appealing. I am a business major and this course really relates to this particular major. Signs are made to appeal people and to make them want to enter into a business, to attend an attraction, etc. For instance, McDonalds and other fast food restaurants have made their sign colors red and yellow because these colors are psychologically supposed to make people hungrier. I find it very interesting how signs can be made to subconsciously attract people. I would be curious to learn and witness other things businesses can do to attract people to, for example, a business or restaurant. Another thing I’m excited to see throughout the city is the mixture of historical signage and new age, modern signage. I will be interested in seeing if different districts have more historical, older signs where as some districts have been completely modernized. Going around a city as diverse as San Francisco will be very fascinating because there is so much advertising and signage everywhere you look.  

Studying signage can be seen as both ethnography and visual anthropology. Ethnography is the branch of anthropology that compares and examines the technology, origins, religion, language and social structure of the national, racial and ethnic divisions of humanity. Visual anthropology is a field dealing with ethnographic photography, it encompasses the anthropological study of visual representation, including the production and reception of mass media. It is easy to see how signage is a part of these fields. Signage is simply a visual representation to tell people where they are, what types of businesses are in a building, or can advertise for a particular event- though this is just a few examples of visual representations. Signs have different origins and can be made in different languages and made different visually, based on the history of the business or area. 

This semester will teach me a lot about, not only different areas of San Francisco, but through the signage around the city I will be able to learn the history of the city. I will also learn about signage and visual representation, something I think is very fascinating, and that will relate to my major down the road. There are many things I’m hoping to see while touring around the city, like how signs are made to appeal more people and how they are relating to each other in different districts. Signs are something that when people look at them, they don’t really understand the origin of them or even how important they are in our everyday lives, thus the reason I am excited to learn about them while touring the city.