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Portal
- Author
- John King
- Narrator
- Gabriel Vaughan
- Publisher
- Tantor Media, Inc
- Publish Date
- 7 November 2023
- Run Time
- 7 hours 59 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Conceived in the Gilded Age, the Ferry Building opened in 1898 as San Francisco's portal to the world—the terminus of the transcontinental railway and a showcase of civic ambition. In silent films and World's Fair postcards, nothing said "San Francisco" more than its soaring clock tower. But as acclaimed architectural critic John King recounts, the rise of the automobile and double-deck freeways severed the city from its beloved structure. King's narrative spans the rise and fall and rebirth of the Ferry Building, introducing colorful figures who fought to preserve its character (and the city's soul)—from architect Arthur Page Brown and legendary columnist Herb Caen to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Senator Dianne Feinstein. A microcosm of the changing American waterfront, the saga of the Ferry Building explores the tensions of tourism and development—and the threat that sea level rise poses to a landmark that in the twenty-first century remains as vital as ever.
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Details
- Author
- John King
- Narrator
- Gabriel Vaughan
- Duration
- 7 hours 59 minutes
- Release Date
- 7 November 2023
- ISBN
- 9798350879766
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Tantor Media, Inc
- Genre
- History of architecture, History of the Americas, Local history, Architecture: public, commercial and industrial buildings, Urban and municipal planning and policy
Synopsis
A two-time Pulitzer finalist explores the story of American urban design through San Francisco's iconic Ferry Building.Conceived in the Gilded Age, the Ferry Building opened in 1898 as San Francisco's portal to the world—the terminus of the transcontinental railway and a showcase of civic ambition. In silent films and World's Fair postcards, nothing said "San Francisco" more than its soaring clock tower. But as acclaimed architectural critic John King recounts, the rise of the automobile and double-deck freeways severed the city from its beloved structure. King's narrative spans the rise and fall and rebirth of the Ferry Building, introducing colorful figures who fought to preserve its character (and the city's soul)—from architect Arthur Page Brown and legendary columnist Herb Caen to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Senator Dianne Feinstein. A microcosm of the changing American waterfront, the saga of the Ferry Building explores the tensions of tourism and development—and the threat that sea level rise poses to a landmark that in the twenty-first century remains as vital as ever.
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