December 13, 2009
I’ve been meaning to post about these amazing T-shirts forever. Because they’re — I kid you not — unbearably cool.
It’s an idea so good that I’ve been kicking myself constantly (though ever so gently) for not having thought of it first!
What we have here is a series of San Francisco historical T-shirts, each one inspired by a historical neighborhood icon or institution. Locally made, totally cool … and they’re beautifully designed, too.
Just a couple of examples, some more gangster than others:
- Devil’s Acre — From the most nefarious district of North Beach’s already infamous Barbary Coast
- Beertown Brawlers — inspired by the 1870s–90s-era saloon-saturated stretch of Fulton Street, north of Golden Gate Park
- Dog Patch — From the extinct east-side working-class neighborhood below Irish Hill
- Carville Falcons — Carville you remember, right? One of those cars was the headquarters of the Falcons — an all-girl cycling club.
- Hunter’s Point Butchers — a little confusing, since Butchertown was a neighborhood distinct from Hunter’s Point, but what the hell … even though it’s currently out of print, this one’s totally my favourite.
And all this is just the tip of the iceberg. Take a peek… and flash some vintage neighborhood pride. Tell ’em Sparkletack sent you!
Sparkletack was the blog and podcast of a guy obsessed with diggin' up San Francisco history. The site is on permanent hiatus.
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December 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm
these are great ideas and great looking Ts! i saw them online many months ago then saw the vendor at the renegade crafts fair in the summer. … you can never have too much of sf history!
December 14, 2009 at 4:28 am
top notch, indeed!
often follow up your links,
never thought of ’em as
a shopping opportunity, ’til now.
cheers,
from sunny brighton, uk.
i really think our cities should be twinned,
topographically and ‘cosmopolitan’ly.
and now, i see we share another affinity
– we had notorious racecourse razor gangs
between ww1 and ww2
(viz graham greene’s ‘brighton rock’)…
December 16, 2009 at 11:26 am
Wow, I like!
December 21, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Thanks for the post, Richard. If the shirt people cared to delve deeper into the SF gangster motif t’would be neat to add a Sidney Ducks, a Hounds, a Joe Boys or even a Painteaters T to this fine collection.
I really miss your podcasts. No doubt I’ll be dipping back into Sparkletack archives before this night turns to dawn. These stories and the way you finesse their telling fill a unique, education-meets-entertainment niche for anyone in love with The City. By making history fun, by breathing life into history’s brittle bones and romping through it with your wry affections, a magic is conveyed transporting listeners back to a San Francisco we see, hear, smell, taste and grab for in every inch its glory. Your talent, Richard – that of the grand tale spinner – is, in my opinion, the oldest, most enjoyable, meaningful and most sacred a human could possibly be gifted with. Here’s to you — to a new year, and to ever greater successes at whatever endeavors you pursue!
January 17, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Hunter’s Point Butchers looks great :)
February 18, 2010 at 7:27 am
cool as. i will prolly grab the whole bunch!