SFCityGuides.org - It was started by the SF Public Library by a librarian to give tours to visiting dignitaries of the City Hall building. 2 cool things about them, the Tours are free, and the organization is almost complete staffed by Volunteers, they have 2 paid employees, who basically co-ordinate the happenings. some 300+ volunteers give some 80+ tours, 365 days a year, rain or shine. The organization is now a non-profit, with offices on the 6th Floor of the Main Public Library in the Civic Center. The organization does get money from the City, for the Hotel Tax, and has corporate sponsor such as the Omni and Palace Hotels among others, (there are tours of these 2 historic hotels, BTW.Yesterday I attended one of the more iconic city guides tours, the Palace of Fine Arts. I learned that the Palace of Fine Arts was built for the Panama Exhibition, to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. That this "world''s fair" took place during world WWI, and the Palace of Fine Arts was built o house some of the world most precious painting on loan and sent away for safety during the war. Monet's, Rembrandt, Micheal Angelo s, all of Europe's most famous and precious art was "loaned" or sent away here for safety!
And I learned some interesting Trivia about the Panama Exhibit, like it covered the entire area from Van Ness Ave all the way to the Presidio, some 22 city blocks. I learned that on opening day the mayor had a Parade down Van Ness street to the front gates of the of the fair, and was followed by some 150,000 people! I learned that in the 9 months the fair was open over 19 million people attended the fair, while the entire population of the city at the time was 430,000 people. AMAZING, I still can not comprehend how the city coped with all those visitors. and Visitors came from all over the country and literally the world.
WEEPING MAIDENS...
I have always wondered the story behind the woman standing a top the columns at the Palace, and finally heard the artist's reason for them. They are called the Weeping Maidens, and they are crying into large planter boxes. Their tears were supposed to water the flowers and trees that were to be planted up there, but logistical problems and the cheap construction at the time would not allow this to be done.
The Maidens are Weeping because all the art that was to be housed here would soon be leaving. So there it is the logic of the Weeping Maidens, long may they weep!
CENTAURS ATTACK ...
The panels on the dome of the palac of fine arts are supposed to be pictures of mythological events. This on is of a Centaur attatcking.
GUARDIANS OF THE ARTS ...
Between the panels of the Dome at the Palace are the Guardians, these are burly warriors ready to do battle to protect the arts. There are also Guarians which look like Angles standing guard within in the dome.
STAIRS TO NO WHERE ...
No one is sure why these where built in, but they are called the Stairs to no where, and they are all around the Dome at the Palace.
WILD LIFE ....
There is a great deal of wild life in and around the lake at the Palace of fine Arts. Turtles inhabit the lake, as do swans and ducks. The two mating swans just had 6 babies which swim in the lake, and wonder the grassy park. While I was there, the family was taking a break and sunning in the grassy area by the road.
ISLAND IN THE LAKE ...
he island of trees in the lake was not originally planned. The story goes that the park designer was not happy with the symmetrical look of the lake, and he and the Landscaper stole a barge, fille it with trees and bushes and such, and sunk it in the lake in the middle of the night, creating the tree island that now stands.
VIEWS AND VISTAS
The Palace is a very picturesque, very popular with tourists and with wedding parties! Who wouldn't want to be photographed with the muted colors of the Palace as the backdrop for their wedding party, or with the Palace Dome and fountain in the background. In the pictures I took, you will see several wedding parties taking pictures.
