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SAN FRANCISCO
The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger

THERESE POLETTI

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY TO M PA I VA

PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL PRESS

NEW YO RK
In memory of my mother, Peg Poletti

Published by Special thanks to Nettie Aljian, Sara Bader, Dorothy

Princeton Architectural Press Ball, Nicola Bednarek, Janet Behning, Becca
37 East Seventh Street Casbon, Carina Cha, Penny (Yuen Pik) Chu, Russell
New York, New York 10003 Fernandez, Pete Fitzpatrick, Wendy Fuller, Jan Haux,
Aileen Kwun, Nancy Eklund Later, Linda Lee, Aaron
For a free catalog of books, call 1.800.722.6657. Lim, Laurie Manfra, Katharine Myers, Lauren Nelson
Visit our website at www.papress.com. Packard, Jennifer Thompson, Paul Wagner, Joseph
Weston, and Deb Wood of Princeton Architectural
© 2008 Therese Poletti Press —Kevin C. Lippert, publisher
All rights reserved
Printed and bound in China Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
11 10 09 08 4 3 2 1 First edition Poletti, Therese, 1959–
Art deco San Francisco : the architecture of
Frontispiece: Timothy Pflueger, circa 1920s. Timothy Pflueger / Therese Poletti ; photography
by Tom Paiva.
This publication is made possible by grants from p. cm.
the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Includes bibliographical references and index.
Fine Arts and the LEF Foundation. ISBN 978-1-56898-756-9 (alk. paper)
1. Pflueger, Timothy Ludwig, 1892–1946—Criticism
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in and interpretation. 2. Art deco (Architecture)—
any manner without written permission from the California—San Francisco. 3. Architecture—
publisher, except in the context of reviews. California—San Francisco—20th century.
4. Architects—California—San Francisco—
Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify Biography. I. Paiva, Tom. II. Title.
owners of copyright. Errors or omissions will be NA737.P425P65 2008
corrected in subsequent editions. 720.92—dc22
2008003274
Editor: Clare Jacobson
Designer: Arnoud Verhaeghe
CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Origins Amid a Devastated City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

An Apprentice with a Trace of Genius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

From Nickelodeons to Movie Palaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Skyscrapers for the Jazz Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

The Monument to the Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Paradise Found at the Paramount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Finding Work during the Great Depression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Trials and Tribulations: The Bay Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Cocktail Lounges and a World’s Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

The Feminine Mystique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Epilog: A Legacy Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

List of Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Image Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book would not have been possible Many thanks go to Terry Pimsleur, who was
without generous grants from the Graham the ghostwriter of the first memoir on Tim
Foundation for Advanced Studies in the with Tim’s brother Milton and who shares my
Fine Arts and the l e f Foundation. These love of local German architects, and to legend-
grants allowed me to hire a professional ary local architectural historian, Gary Goss, for
architect ural photog rapher, Tom Paiva, telling me about yet another building by the
who worked on this book because of his prolific Miller & Pflueger and for keeping his
own interest in architecture and who grew eyes always peeled for my project as we trolled
to love Timothy Pf lueger’s work as much through microfilm on weekends in the San
as I do. Paiva’s work shows P f lueger’s Francisco Public Library.
buildings through an exceptional artist’s To architectural historians, architects, en-
eye. These grants also gave me the funds gineers, authors, and publishers, I thank you
to purchase more stunning photography for your advice, your time, and all the immea-
from archives and collections. surable ways you have helped me: Pierluigi
Thanks go to all the Pflueger family mem- Ser raino, P at r ick McGrew, Chr istopher
bers who have helped me with their recollec- VerPlanck, P. Michael Davies of H. J. Brunnier
tions of Tim. Special thanks to his nephew, the Associates, Mitchell Schwarzer, Michael
architect John M. Pflueger, who gave me access Crowe, Steve Levin, Jack Tillmany, Stephen
to the Pflueger Architects archives, and Tom D. Mikesell, David Jones of Lenvik & Minor,
Pflueger, who kindly let me peruse Tim’s office Michael Varner, Robert W. Bowen, Rebecca
calendars. Schnier, Jane Wolff, Bill Stout, Bradley
This project would never have come to Wiedmaier, Rich Higgins, and Lissa Mckee of
fruition if not for the unflagging efforts of Caltrans, and Sara Lardinois of Architectural
my agent, Robert Shepard of the Robert E. Resources Group.
Shepard Agency, and his interest in Bay Area Thanks to historians, authors, theatre
architecture. His support and hand-holding and architecture buffs, and Art Deco aficio-
over the past three years have been invaluable. nados who have provided input, advice, and
Clare Jacobson, executive editor at Princeton use of their artwork or photos in the book:
Architectural Press, is a rare New York editor Gary Parks, Mark Santa Maria, David Parry,
with a bicoastal existence and an interest in Bay Peter Field, Jacquie Proctor, John R. Potts,
Area architecture. I would like to thank her for Bernadette C. Hooper, Masha Zakheim, Don
her utmost patience and interest in pushing Andreini, Stephen Wirtz, and John C. and
this book through. Georgia Alioto.

—vi—
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many journalists, colleagues, photogra- Maynez, Martha Lucey-Olchowy, Stephen

phers, friends, and neighbors have provided Kech, and Patricia Arack at City College of San
moral support and advice: Jon Friedman, Chris Francisco; Steve Henderson of the Family;
O’Brien, Duncan Martell, Mary Anne Ostrom, Kari Miller and David Whitaker of Saks Fifth
Tracy Seipel, Michelle Quinn, Robin Evans, Avenue; Alexander Hagen; Patricia Mabel
Ryan Blitstein, Michael Bazeley, Matt Marshall, Neys of Pf lueger Baerwald; David Dewey of
Tom Stern, Lou Dematteis, Mike Halberstadt, the Oroville State Theatre; Eric Hart of the
Roger Minick, Shan Chun, Deb Whitehill, Sue Senator Theatre; Richard Gazowsky of Voice
Zeidler, Andrea Orr, Eric Auchard, Roy Asfar, of Pentecost Church; and Diane Panagotacos of
Caren Huck, Carole Vaporean, Sue Nichols, Roosevelt Middle School.
Roxanne Albertoli, Stacey Benfer, Roxanne I want to add thanks to the many San
Johnson, Doug Hamaker, and Arthur Tyde. Franciscans and others I interviewed: Gloria
I would also especially like to thank all Mur ray, Isabelle Mu zio, John Her ma nn,
the people who own, live, or work in Pflueger Mildred Goodman, and Paul and Bee Brown.
buildings or are associated with his works, To the many archivists, librarians, and ref-
for your patience and enduring all my inqui- erence desk staffers at the libraries I have vis-
ries: Martin Brown, Sherri Nordwall, and ited over the past two years, thank you for your
Keith Ward at the Empire Group; William C. thoroughness and perseverance in researching
Caughlin, Chris Chandlee, Lawrence Kwock, my many requests: Susan Goldstein, Christina
Jerome Zeigler, and John Britton at a t & t ; Moretta, Frank Vaughn, Tim Wilson, Tami
Don Nasser of Central California Theatres; Bill Suzuki, Jason Baxter, and all the other librar-
Longen of the Castro Theatre; Erik Petersen of ians at the San Francisco History Center, San
Crunch Fitness at the Alhambra Theatre; Stan Francisco Public Library; Waverly Lowell at
Mackewicz and Josh Maxfield-Janer at Harsch the Environmental Design Archives, U.C .
Investment Properties; Walter Newman and Berkeley; Susan Snyder and David Kessler
Ellen Magnin Newman; Mike Cashion of at the Bancroft Library, U.C. Berkeley; Susan
Shorenstein Properties; Samara Diapoulos Backman and A nn Gonzalez of the San
of the Fairmont Hotel; Howard Mutz of the Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Janet
Palace Hotel and formerly with the St. Francis Parks and Julie Tozer, Columbia University
Hotel; Gena Egelston of the St. Francis Hotel; Depart ment of Draw ings and A rchives,
Connie Perez at the Mark Hopkins Hotel; Avery Architecture and Fine Arts Library; Jeff
Michael Cerchiai of Bimbo’s 365 Club; Michelle Gunderson at the San Francisco Art Institute;
Righetti; Andrew L . Pansini; Hiroko McVey Mark Webb and Chanetta Jackson at the San
of the Ritz Carlton; Angela Jackson with the Francisco P ublic Librar y Newspaper and
San Francisco Visitors & Convention Bureau; Microfilm Center; Steven Lavoie and Martha
Jeffrey Ewald, Ken Walters, and Art Hazeldine Bergmann of the Oakland History Room,
of the Paramount Theatre; Pam Welty of Oakland Public Library; Molly Spore-Alhadef
McCarthy Building Cos. Inc.; Susan Saunders at the Redwood City Public Library, History
of George Washington High School; Joe Illick; Room; Carol Peterson, San Mateo County
Tom Onda; Frank and Julie Husic; the Pintos; History Museum Archives; Elizabeth Stewart
Paul and Bee Brown; Julia Bergman, Will at the Chico Heritage Association; Darrin

—vii—
 ART DECO SAN FRANCISCO

Alfred, now with the Denver Art Museum;

Deborah Besnard and Bill Jones at the California
State University, Chico, Meriam Library;
Gail Stein at the Beverly Hills Public Library;
Brent Field at the Santa Barbara Public Library;
Nancy Hadley at the American Institute of
Architects; Ellen Gorelick at the Tulare City
Historical Society; Nancy Lund at the Portola
Valley Archives; Christina Rice at the Los
Angeles Public Library, History and Genealogy
Department; Kurt Helfrich at the Architecture
and Design Collection, University Art Museum,
U.C. Santa Barbara; Alison Moore and Debra
Kaufman at the California Historical Society;
Nancy Leek at the Chico Branch of the Butte
County Library; Walter Swan at the Mission
High School Alumni Museum; Patty Gregory,
Jeff Crawford, and Melodi Andersen at the
California State Archives; Leslie Edwards at
the Cranbrook Archives; Erin Chase at the
Huntington Library; Esther Shafran at the
Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust; and
Jean and Tom Moulin. I apologize if I forget to
mention anyone.
Most of all I would like to thank my fam-
ily for their patience, love, and support during
this trying time, writing a book in my off-
hours while working as a business journalist.
To Mary Lew Poletti, Kevin Frederick, Auntie,
and Frank Costella, thank you for putting up
with me, or without me, since I started this
project.

—viii—
INTRODUCTION

graceful white- and gray-flecked skyscraper,

its face craggy with unusual ornament, slightly
resembling a chunk of granite. It also held a dis-
tinct black-and-white photo of the building’s
architect, a slightly rumpled man, his hair
blowing off to the side, a grin on his face, and a
big, distinct nose. Something about this photo,
the man, and the beauty of his work aroused
my curiosity, and thus began my quest.
Timothy Ludwig Pf lueger was one of San
Francisco’s most prolific architects during his
fruitful career. He designed two major down-
town skyscrapers, smaller office and industrial
buildings, two stock exchanges, several neigh-
borhood theatres, a movie palace, some of San
Francisco’s biggest schools, cocktail lounges, Timothy Pflueger stands
looking reflective in downtown
and at least twenty-five homes. Pflueger’s work San Francisco, circa 1930s.
is everywhere in San Francisco. Vin Duffey, one
He looked at the granite. To be cut, he thought, of Tim’s best friends, recounted giving a tour of
and made into walls. He looked at a tree. To San Francisco to a couple who inquired about
be split and made into rafters. He looked at the architects of certain buildings, only to
a streak of rust on the stone and thought of learn with amused bewilderment that Pflueger
iron ore under the ground. To be melted and had designed nearly all of them, from the
to emerge as girders against the sky. Telephone Building to 450 Sutter to the Stock
—Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead Exchange to the Top of the Mark.1 Much of his
work is still extant, and many buildings have
I first learned about Timothy Pflueger when been named landmarks. But after he passed
visiting the lobby of an old Moderne style away in 1946, memories of him faded into the
building in the South of Market district in San city’s fabric, and he was mostly forgotten.
Francisco. At the time, it was officially called During his lifetime, Pf lueger lived large.
the s b c Building, but among locals the city’s He was extremely press savvy for his era and
first real skyscraper is known as the Telephone probably had the similar instincts of today’s
Building. A glass case in the lobby enshrined “starchitects” in publicizing his buildings.
articles, photos, and a stunning drawing of the He often hired the commercial photographer

—ix—
 ART DECO SAN FRANCISCO

Timothy Pflueger at an art

opening, circa late 1930s.

Gabriel Moulin to shoot beautiful images of on Treasure Island. Even though he hob-
his work for the trade journals and of draw- nobbed at exclusive clubs like the Family and
ings for the newspapers. As one of his suppli- the Bohemian Club and did business with
ers, the safe maker John Hermann, told me, the Fleishhackers, the Crockers, the Magnins,
“Everyone knew Tim Pflueger the architect.”2 and San Francisco’s other famous families, he
One can easily imagine him, wearing his usual never forgot his roots. He was from the city’s
three-piece suit, watch chain visible and his working-class Mission district, and he lived
fedora tilted to one side, as he jauntily walked all his life in his immigrant family’s house on
down Market Street to his office next to the Guerrero Street. He never ventured far from
Hobart Building. He must have felt as if he home except on business trips, which took him
owned the city as he looked out his sixth-floor frequently to New York. He left the country
office windows and watched the steel frame only a handful of times: once to Mexico to visit
of the Telephone Building rise on nearby New the artist Diego Rivera, another time to Paris
Montgomery Street. in search of fixtures to decorate his designs for
In the late 1930s, he often drove his nieces the I. Magnin stores.
and nephews around town in his big green Pflueger did not go to college, but he became
Cadillac convert ible, show ing t hem his a major player in San Francisco’s cultural com-
buildings, telling them about the problems munity. A director of the San Francisco Art
he had building the garage underneath Union Association, which founded the museum
Square, or taking them to the World’s Fair now known as the San Francisco Museum of

—x—
 INTRODUCTION

Modern Art, he was a friend to many artists and son with both Eliel Saarinen’s and Wright’s
hired them to enhance his buildings. His office work in the 1920s. “Timothy Pflueger’s great
calendars are filled with names of local art- significance as a high-rise architect lay in the
ists like Ralph Stackpole, Robert Boardman emotional power of his towers, which frankly
Howard, Esther Bruton, Charles Stafford expressed industrial technology, but never-
Duncan, and Beniamino “Benny” Bufano. He theless achieved poetic meanings that the
also had working relationships and was friendly International Stylists, in the name of structural
with Rivera and Ansel Adams. When Frank rationalism, were ironing out of their designs,”
Lloyd Wright was in town in 1945, Pf lueger Temko wrote. 3
met him at the Mark Hopkins Hotel and took It is perhaps startling that a young man who
him to the Family for breakfast and a spirited grew up without a college education could
discussion about architecture. become one of the prominent architects of his
Pflueger had a rich and amazingly produc- period, then be ignored when that period was
tive life. He and his business partner James over. His work has been obscured by theorists
R. Miller worked in one of the most fascinat- and purists who gave Moderne architecture
ing periods in American and Californian his- a stigma by claiming Art Deco was nothing
tory. The firm began to grow in postquake San more than a lot of worthless ornament. The
Francisco and continued through the roaring life and work of Timothy Pflueger is an inspira-
1920s, the Great Depression of the 1930s, and tion. I can only hope that this book will at least
the war years until Pflueger’s abrupt death in bestow on him, through the filter of history
1946. His firm lived on through his brother and the passage of time, some long-deserved
Milton and then Milton’s son John, but for sim- respect and give him his proper due.
plicity’s sake this book explores only Timothy’s
career, his work, and the profound and lasting
impact he had on the city he loved.
Pflueger is known best as an Art Deco archi-
tect, but he was educated in the Beaux-Arts
style at the San Francisco Architectural Club
and in his office training with Miller. His early
work sought to go beyond the borrowings of
the academic architects and eventually became
wide ranging, inventive, and progressively
more modern. But unlike the more sterile
work of the architects who were put into the
International Style box, even Pflueger’s sparest
buildings have a grace of line and a dramatiza-
tion of space that evoke a sense of awe and pas-
sion to the beholder. He believed form was as
important as function.
The Pulitzer Prize–winning architecture
critic Allan Temko wrote that Pflueger’s “per-
sonalized romanticism” deserved compari-

—xi—
ART DECO SAN FRANCISCO

—IV—
ORIGINS AMID A DEVASTATED CIT Y

With hue like that when some great painter dips the uplifting verses of Gloria California, San
His pencil in the gloom of earthquake and eclipse. Francisco, and The Star Spangled Banner.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Revolt of Islam Appropriately, their repertoire also included
an old Civil War tune, Tenting on the Old Camp
On a cloudy afternoon on the first day of June Ground, as 250,000 San Franciscans were liv-
1906, an unusual graduation ceremony took ing in tents after the disaster. Makeshift refugee
place in San Francisco. It was almost two camps were all over the city, including within
months since the young city was devastated the enormous park, not far from this inspira-
by the worst earthquake and fire in its history; tional ceremony. 2
the disaster killed more than 3,000 people, Local politicians made pompous speeches,
and one-quarter of the city was in ruins. and Mayor Eugene Schmitz handed out diplo-
Officials decided to host one big graduation mas. Among the hundreds to receive their
ceremony for all the city’s 1,700 public school diplomas that day was a blonde, blue-eyed boy
pupils at the bucolic Golden Gate Park, far named Timothy Ludwig Pflueger, who gradu-
from the rubble of downtown. ated from Horace Mann Grammar School
Many students came to the festivities from along with thirty-four classmates in Miss
the suburbs of Berkeley, Oakland, and other McLoughlin’s class. 3 The school was only a
surrounding towns, where their families had few blocks from Pflueger’s home in the Mission
hastily moved after the massive quake of April district. Soon after graduation in that tumul-
18. They journeyed on ferries and streetcars, tuous year, the thirteen-year-old Pf lueger
arriving at Golden Gate Park carrying small entered the working world amid the mas-
American flags. Others came from the many sive rebuilding boom that swept across San
refugee camps formed to help the thousands Francisco.
of homeless citizens. Still others, those who Young Pflueger grew up in a working-class
were lucky, came from San Francisco homes German family. His father, August Pflueger,
unscathed by the disaster. and his wife, née Ottilie Quandt, were both
A crowd estimated at over 15,000 gath- born in Germany in the 1860s. The Pfluegers
ered near a demolished music stand, where traced their ancestors to Egringen, a village
students were led in song by the super- in southern Germany across the Rhine from
intendent of music, Estelle Carpenter. She Basel, Switzerland. August met Ottilie in 1890,
opposite
stood on a makeshift platform in a long white when he was thirty-one and she twenty-six Women gather near the Dewey
dress, her arms held high, conducting the and both were living in Los Angeles. 4 The two Monument in a demolished
Union Square, after the
pupils. 1 From grammar school children to married and moved to San Francisco, where devastating San Francisco
high school teenagers, all joined in song with many members of Ottilie’s family lived. earthquake and fire, April 1906.

—1—
 Once in San Franc isco, t he P f luegers
moved every few years. Timothy was born on
September 26, 1892, while the family was liv-
ing at 1212 Twenty-third Street in what is now
known as the Potrero Hill area. From around
1899 to 1902, Timothy’s maternal grandfather,
Frederick Quandt, lived with the Pfluegers at
their flat at 7 Chenery Street. 5 Next door at 11
Chenery lived Ottilie’s brother, Alexander
Quandt. Alexander founded a local painting
company, A. Quandt & Sons. He and his sons
became one of the city’s best-known painting
contractors, and they often worked with Tim
Pflueger when he became an architect.
“Alexander and Tillie Pflueger lived side by
side,” said Gloria Murray, a relative by mar-
riage. “Their backyards opened up into a big
open space. We used to have old pictures of Mr.
Quandt’s wagons that pulled the paint parked
in front.” The cousins were close and played
together. 6
Timothy was the second-oldest son in a
family of seven boys. One child, August, died
at five months of age in 1894. 7 The Pfluegers
were hardworking, and August senior was a
strict disciplinarian. He worked downtown in a
tailor shop on Kearny Street for a few years, but
around 1904 he moved the family and his tai-
loring business to a modest two-story, wood-
framed house built in 1899 at 1015 Guerrero
Street near Twenty-second Street. This was
in the Mission district, a neighborhood popu-
lated with blue-collar Germans, Irish, Italians,
French, Finnish, and other immigrants, many
of whom worked in the construction indus-
try. Across the street from the Pfluegers were
the Ruanes from Ireland, including the plas-
terer Patrick J. Ruane, who later worked with
Pflueger on many of his buildings. 8
After the Pfluegers moved to Guerrero
Street, Ottilie’s father would still drop in every

—2—
 opposite top
Man walking through the
rubble, looking up Market
Street, on the third day of
the fire, April 20, 1906.

opposite bottom
Strolling through a refugee
camp in Golden Gate Park,
1906.

above
Chenery Street in the early
1900s. The Quandt House is
in the foreground on the left.

left
Horace Mann Intermediate
School, where Pflueger
attended grammar school,
circa 1917.

—3—
 ART DECO SAN FRANCISCO

Sunday after church for dinner, and stop for a age, Timothy got a job. His first job was at a
schnapps on his way to their house. Richard picture-framing shop.11 His brothers pursued
“Dickie” Faulkner, the principal of the Horace various careers. Paul, born in 1891, began a long
Mann School, was also a frequent visitor. 9 career in banking at the Humboldt Savings
The Pflueger House on Guerrero was on the Bank on Market Street as a clerk at age sixteen.
outskirts of the city at the time of the 1906 earth- William, born in 1898, became a successful
quake and just a few blocks from the destruc- banker and stockbroker. Otto became a doc-
tion of the fires. Their block was spared when tor, and Milton joined his brother’s firm as an
neighbors and firefighters fought the blaze at architect.
Twentieth and Dolores streets. One neighbor While the Pflueger boys learned at an early
who helped was future mayor James Rolph age the importance of hard work, their parents
Jr.; he and his brother and friends formed the also instilled in them an appreciation of cul-
Mission Relief Association to deliver water and ture and fine arts. The family managed to afford
supplies to fight the encroaching inferno.10 The piano lessons for the boys, who practiced in the
house on Guerrero would remain the Pflueger parlor, which was above August’s tailor shop
family home until matriarch Ottilie died at 93 on the ground floor. “If we hit a wrong note we
in 1957. heard an immediate knock through the floor
As was common at the turn of the century, below,” Milton wrote of his father. “His ear
when many boys started working at a young was good and he also had a strong bass voice.

—4—
 O R I G I N S A M I D A D E VA S TAT E D C I T Y

opposite
Mission Relief volunteers, circa
April 1906. James Rolph Jr., who
became Mayor “Sunny Jim”
Rolph, is in the middle with the
moustache and the light hat.

left
Still-life painting by Timothy
Pflueger when he was twelve
or thirteen.

He wrote poetry but he was stern and strict.”12 With the abundance of opportunities to
They also had to attend Sunday school and rebuild the city, young Pflueger landed his first
church at a nearby Lutheran church every job after grammar school in architecture. He
Sunday. was described as a “draughtsman” in the 1907
Pflueger began working probably in 1906 as city directory, but the place where he worked
an architectural draftsman.13 He already had was not specified. It is not clear if his first
an artistic bent, and it was a natural job to take office job was with the man who would become
as San Franciscans played a huge part in put- his mentor, James R. Miller. But at some point
ting their city back together. In the months very early in his training, Pflueger joined the
after the quake, newspaper “Help Wanted” small firm then called Miller & Colmesnil,
ads grew in volume, especially those seeking which like many other firms was extremely
workers skilled in construction trades. Local busy amid the city’s reconstruction boom.
newspapers and trade papers such as the Daily The 1906 earthquake destroyed almost
Pacific Builder were full of ads in 1906 and five square miles, or about one-quarter of the
1907 looking for construction workers, brick- city. Downtown San Francisco was seriously
layers, masonry workers, draftsmen, architects, decimated after fires destroyed the buildings
and engineers. In May 1906, a typical ad posted initially damaged by the quake. Jack London,
in the San Francisco Examiner read: “five working as a freelance journalist, wrote in
architectural draughtsman, at once.” Colliers:

—5—
 ART DECO SAN FRANCISCO

“Not in history has a modern imperial city Photographs of the devastation showed
been so completely destroyed. San Francisco is enormous piles of rubble, bricks, broken col-
gone. Nothing remains of it but memories and umns, chunks of concrete, and construction
a fringe of dwelling-houses on its outskirts. scaffolding. Parts of downtown looked like
Its industrial section is wiped out. Its business Roman ruins, with dust heavy in the air. San
section is wiped out. Its social and residential Franciscans erected makeshift tents to serve
section is wiped out. The factories and ware- as post offices, barber shops, restaurants, even
houses, the great stores and newspaper build- an Odd Fellows hall. To the journalists and
ings, the hotels and the palaces of the nabobs, tourists who came to see and record the devas-
are all gone.”14 tation, the city promoted its citizens as a tough,

—6—
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