archive for April, 2006

monthly archive
Sunday, April 30th, 2006

#56: Lotta Crabtree — the San Francisco Favourite

lotta crabtree - the san francisco favourite [ 27:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

In this week’s podcast we’ll marvel at beautiful Lotta Crabtree, quintessential star of the late 1800s. She was the protege of Lola Montez, the highest paid performer on Broadway, the darling of the entire nation, and the most popular comedienne of her era. As you may already suspect, her story begins right here in California, […]

5 Comments » - Posted in San Francisco history podcasts by
Sunday, April 16th, 2006

#55: Caruso, the Palace, and the 1906 earthquake

caruso, the palace, and the 1906 earthquake [ 44:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

This week’s podcast chooses just one of the many thousands of individual stories to emerge from the catastrophe, following the eccentric Italian superstar and the storied hotel through their respective trials and tribulations. One survives… but the other does not. For further edification: » “The San Francisco Earthquake” – Gordon Thomas, Max Morgan Witts » […]

9 Comments » - Posted in San Francisco history podcasts by
Saturday, April 8th, 2006

#54: The Notorious Lola Montez

the notorious lola montez [ 36:55 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

This week’s podcast grapples with the unbelievable legend of Lola Montez, the gorgeous Irish peasant girl with the soul of a grifter and the heart of a despot. She lived about three lifetimes’ worth of adventure, turning Europe upside down and provoking a revolution in Bavaria before conquering Gold Rush-era San Francisco with her scandalous […]

9 Comments » - Posted in San Francisco history podcasts by
Wednesday, April 5th, 2006

Tour Review — Dashiell Hammett’s San Francisco

Here’s the thing — I love San Francisco, I love history, and I love walking. Luckily for me, there are a billion walking tours out there, and every so often I take one. I do my best to keep my know-it-all mouth shut and learn a thing or two, pick up a few ideas for […]

1 Comment » - Posted in Walking tour reviews by
Saturday, April 1st, 2006

#53: The Bella Union and the Barbary Coast

the bella union and the barbary coast [ 26:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup

All sorts of San Francisco legends shared her stage and its Barbary Coast history, among them Oofty Goofty, Big Bertha, Lola Montez, Emperor Norton and little Lotta Crabtree. Today’s podcast tells the story of the 60 years in which the “Bella” was the most popular show in town. For further edification: » The Barbary Coast […]

3 Comments » - Posted in San Francisco history podcasts by