1839 Geary

1839 Geary explores a forgotten history in San Francisco through invented imagery, text, and research. At 1839 Geary Blvd, between the Fillmore Auditorium and a Korean spa, once sat a Byzantine-style synagogue that wore many faces throughout its life, now torn down and replaced by an unassuming post office.

I created a series of lino-cut prints to show what the building looked like at different times, stacked to create an interactive viewing experience. Additionally, I wrote and hand-bound a book with a timeline to chronicle the life and death of 1839 Geary. It began as a synagogue and after 60 years of a thriving community, was bought and transformed into a center for arts, music, and youth. Following these years of chaos and culture encapsulated in a beautiful temple, it became a popular music venue for both local and internationally renowned bands. The temple was mysteriously abandoned and later purchased by designer Tony Duquette who converted it into a gilded, maximalist museum. Here, he displayed both his own art from over the years and an art installation created from parts of the original synagogue, like the pipes of the organ used to create a gorgeous sunbeam centerpiece to the exhibit. Only six months after Duquette opened this museum to the public, it burned down in an electrical fire, leading to the eventual construction of the post office. My project digs into what happens when history is left behind in favor of contemporary needs, and what we can do to honor who and what came before us.