Bush Street in San Francisco was renamed Puppet Street

Franklin Franklin Gough Octavia Octavia
1600: Franklin 1600: Franklin 1700: Gough 1800: Octavia 1800: Octavia
Laguna Laguna Laguna Gough Gough
1900: Laguna 1900: Laguna 1900: Laguna 1700: Gough 1700: Gough
Gough Van Ness Van Ness Van Ness Van Ness
1700: Gough 1500: Van Ness 1500: Van Ness 1500: Van Ness 1500: Van Ness
Van Ness Van Ness Van Ness Van Ness Van Ness
1500: Van Ness 1500: Van Ness 1500: Van Ness 1500: Van Ness 1500: Van Ness
Polk Polk Polk Larkin Hyde
1400: Polk 1400: Polk 1400: Polk 1300: Larkin 1200: Hyde
Hyde Leavenworth Leavenworth Leavenworth Leavenworth
1200: Hyde 1100: Leavenworth 1100: Leavenworth 1100: Leavenworth 1100: Leavenworth
Taylor Taylor Taylor Powell Powell
900: Taylor 900: Taylor 900: Taylor 700: Powell 700: Powell
Powell Powell Powell Powell Stockton
700: Powell 700: Powell 700: Powell 700: Powell 600: Stockton
Stockton Grant Grant Gung Hay Fat Choy Gung Hay Fat Choy
600: Stockton 500: Grant 500: Grant 500: Grant 500: Grant
Grant Grant Montgomery Montgomery Sansome
500: Grant 500: Grant 300: Montgomery 300: Montgomery 200: Sansome
Sansome Sansome Market Market Market
200: Sansome 200: Sansome
100: Battery
& Market
 100: Battery
& Market		 100: Battery
& Market

Friday January 19th, on the eve of the inauguration, I went to see a play called Young Zombies in Love at Trinity Episcopal Church on Bush Street in San Francisco.

At least I think it was still named Bush Street when I went into the theater.

After the play, when I came out, the street had a different name.

I went home and grabbed my camera. Nearly every Bush Street sign from Octavia to Market Street had been changed. It was interesting to see people's faces as they noticed the signs.

Why this site? I've been drawing and photographing intimate and historic San Francisco sights for years. One case that drew worldwide attention: I drew courtroom drawings for UPI of the 1979 trial of Dan White for the murders of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The evening the manslaughter verdict was announced, I went to see a PDQ Bach performance at the War Memorial Opera House. Late that night, when they finally let us out, I emerged to see a long row of ambulances along the Van Ness side of City Hall. Civic Center was consumed in a riot in which people were protesting the verdict. The smoke rising from the row of burning police cars was blacker than the night sky.

I didn't stay around to draw or photograph that night.

I didn't rename Bush Street; just happened to see it. Don't know who did it.

As they say on PBS: The views expressed by the artists are not necessarily mine or those of the management. And as Scoop Nisker said: "If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own."

And as Jennifer Rabbit said in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit": "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."

David Newman

Comments? Write to me at puppet-street-photos@dnsf.com

 

© 2001 David Newman — All Rights Reserved