Sutro Baths 125 -- March 14, 2021

 

San Francisco Call, 13-March-1896

125 years ago today, on 14-March-2021, Sutro Baths, built by Mayor Adolph Sutro, opened to the public, just up the hill from the second Cliff House and across the road from Sutro Heights. The article below, from the 16-March-1896 San Francisco Call, describes the events of opening day and other recreational activities in the city. The museum is the former museum of the Mid-Winter Fair, at this point the ancestor of the De Young Museum. It is interesting to see the Baths referred to as Sutro Coney Island. 

THE DAY AT THE PARK

Sutro's Baths Were Well

Attended in Spite of the

Rain.

Music and an Entertaining Aquatic

Programme— Work at the Museum.

In consequence of the weather yesterday Golden Gate Park was almost deserted. There was no music, the drives were vacant except for a half a dozen yonng cyclers, who seemed to enjoy the mud. However, John McLaren, the superintendent, was happy.

"This is a glorious rain," said he, "just what we needed at this time. Yesterday afternoon the men finished planting a little forest of trees on the artificial hill south of the grand court, which is to serve as a break wind, when down came this gentle rain which will invigorate the trees."

Considerable work has been done in the court in the past week. A large number of tall shade trees have been set out and when they are in foliage they will furnish ample shade for those who will gather under them to listen to the music.

The grounds around the new lodge are being laid out by the gardeners and the designers will make them very attractive. Some of the trees that stand in front and obstruct the view of the main driva will be cut down.

Work on the annex to the museum has been delayed on account of the strike which has been on several days. This delays the inside work. As soon as it is finished the work of placing the new exhibits in position will be commenced under the suggestions of Director-General de Young, who is expected home this week.

Travel to the ocean beach in the forenoon was very light. In the afternoon the cars of all the lines were carrying many passengers, all bound for the entertainment in the Sutro Baths. During the afternoon there was, considering the day, a very good attendance of spectators and bathers. Up to 4 o'clock over four hundred had robed themselves in bathing suits and tested the temperature of the clear, invigorating water from the ocean. Colonel T. P. Robinson had provided a pleasing programme, which was given between 1 and' 3 o'clock. It was an exhibition by members of the Olympic Club and included a 100-yard race, water polo, tub-race, candle race, spring-board diving, trapeze diving and high diving.

During the afternoon tbe spectators were greeted with delightful music by Cassasa's Exposition Band, choice and popular selections being rendered until 5 o'clock. In the evening the baths were brilliantly illuminated with electric lights and there was given an exhibition of fancy swimming and diving by members of the Olympic Club and the Pacific Swimming Club. There was also a grand concert by Cassasa's Band.

There will not be any performance to-night, but there will be a gala night to-morrow, when a special programme in honor of the day will be offered.

On account of the moisture the Haight street grounds were not opened yesterday.

Sutro Baths Fire, 50 Years -- June 26, 2016

Sutro Baths was built by Adolph Sutro, San Francisco philanthropist, at the western edge of the city, near Sutro Heights, his home, and the third Cliff House (depending on how you count them), which he built. Both are visible behind the Baths in this postcard.

My grandfather took me to Sutro Baths several times when I was little. The pools had been converted into ice skating rinks. I remember the Egyptian mummies, the Tucker automobile, and Tom Thumb's carriage. Some years before, in 1958, the Baths had appeared in the movie version of The Lineup, directed by Don Siegel.

I was playing in my backyard on 26-June-1966 when the sky grew dark and black embers started flying overhead. Sutro Baths, which was being demolished to make way for apartments, had caught fire. The mummies and the Tucker and Tom Thumb's carriage had already been removed.

The developer went bankrupt, and the cove where the baths stood is a nice place to hike.

The western edge of San Francisco, around Land's End, has always been one of my favorite places.

 I took this photo of the ruins on 06-December-2008. 

San Francisco Call, 17-April-1897

I would like to see "Mr. Charles Cavill in his Wonderful Monte Cristo Drowning Act." I suppose he got sewn into a sack and thrown into the pool, so it was an escape act.

Sutro Baths at Auction -- January 8, 2014

One hundred years ago today, San Francisco's Sutro Baths were put up at auction as part of the settlement of the estate of philanthropist and former mayor Adolph Sutro, who had died in 1898. 

My grandfather took me to Sutro Baths several times when I was little. By then it was owned by the Whitney Brothers, who also owned the Cliff House and Playland-at-the-Beach.  The pools had been converted into ice skating rinks. I remember the Egyptian mummies, the Tucker automobile, and Tom Thumb's carriage. Some years before, in 1958, the Baths had appeared in the movie version of The Lineup, directed by Don Siegel.

I was playing in my backyard one day in 1966 when the sky grew dark and ashes started flying overhead. Sutro Baths, which was being demolished to make way for apartments, had caught fire. The mummies and the Tucker and Tom Thumb's carriage had already been removed.

The developer went bankrupt, and the cove where the baths stood is a nice place to hike.

The Right Lion -- January 8, 2012

Two lions have guarded the entrance to Sutro Heights since the 1880s.  This is the right lion.  The originals were made by Belgian sculptor Guillaume Geefs. The GGNRA replaced them with copies about 100 years later.

Yesterday my daughter took a test at George Washington High School.  I drove up to the San Francisco monument and took some photos.  Then I parked at the lot which replace Merrie Way.  The new visitor center is making progress.  I walked up to Sutro Heights and walked around.  Then I went down the road and took photos of Sutro Baths and the Cliff House.

After the test, we had lunch at Bill's Place.  We both had the Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins Burger.

Cliff House #2 -- July 15, 2011

There has been a Cliff House at Land's End in San Francisco since 1863. There is some debate over whether this elaborate structure, built by Adolph Sutro in 1896 after the previous Cliff House was nearly destroyed by an explosion, was number three or number two. Historians like to point out the irony that it survived the 18-April-1906 Earthquake and Fire, but burned the next year, on 07-September-1907.