After completing my latest tattoo (see Master of Suspense), I decided to stop by the Orange Circle to browse their antique shops. I wasn't expecting to buy anything because I will be attending the Long Beach Antique Market tomorrow morning. My dad and brother joined me to browse the current inventory. As we were getting to leave one shop, my dad made a beeline for one display case and quickly called me over.
It was an old Sutro Baths handbill advertising its season opening in 1897. It was marked at $59, but then my dad pointed to a "50% off all items" sign and I immediately said, "I'll take it."
As I walked out of the shop, my dad asked to take a look at it. He kept looking at the year 1897, but then I saw the month and day. "Daddy, look at the date." He was stunned. Imagine that! I purchased this relic 118 years to the day AND on the 109th anniversary of the Great Quake of San Francisco. Yes, this purchase was meant to be.
This will go great with the cardboard poster my dad gave me of an indoor picture at Sutro Baths. The photo below isn't my poster, but it is the exact same picture.
Sutro Baths is by far my favorite piece of San Francisco history; although PPIE is a close second. It's unfortunate that swimming house is no more, but the ruins make for a great visit and hike. Below is a collage of my photos from a previous visit a few years back.
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