February 16, 2014
A notice that’s a bit overdue: I haven’t recorded a podcast for years, now, and the chances that I’ll return to this project are slim.
That said, I’m committed to leaving ALL THESE PODCASTS online – as a resource for San Franciscans, of course, but also for lovers of this fascinating city from all around the world.
Peruse the list (over there on the right) for hours and hours of San Francisco stories, trivia, and history.
And thanks for listening!
Sparkletack was the blog and podcast of a guy obsessed with diggin' up San Francisco history. The site is on permanent hiatus.» About Richard
The Barbary Coast
Herbert Asbury's mesmerizing survey of Francisco's dark, filthy & frantic underground history, whose denizens -- freaks, bullies, hookers, dandies, opium smokers, and loose nuts of every variety -- are absolutely unforgettable.
Roughing It
Samuel Clemen's wide-eyed account of his Western transformation into Mark Twain. It's half-autobiography, half-high-grade B.S., and 100% entertainment! Here's my review of Uncle Mark's work: »
River of Shadows
The subtitle -- "Eadweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West" -- just hints at the depth of history and analysis in this beautifully written and meticulously researched work. Fascinating and gorgeous ... read my review: »
San Francisco Memoirs
1835-1851: Eyewitness Accounts of the Birth of a City
The sleepy village of Yerba Buena becomes the boomtown of San Francisco -- in the voices of its own residents.
More San Francisco Memoirs
1852-1899: The Ripening Years
In this sequel to Malcolm Barker's "San Francisco Memoirs", the saga continues; from the Gold Rush to the Gilded age, San Franciscans tell our story in their own words.
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February 16, 2014 at 6:36 pm
Say it ain’t so, we were waiting for you to swing back around to doing more new podcasts on the worlds best city.
Thanks though for all the hard work you put into the many, many episodes you did, they were and will continued to be enjoyed!
Thank,
John
February 16, 2014 at 6:59 pm
Yes Richard good to hear from you again, to tell you the truth Ive listened to each podcast at least twice over the past 4 yrs. my favorite 2 are the Alexander Leidesdorff and the Starr King two part series. by the way my wife always mentions how much she’d like to visit or even move to Oregon. could you speak a little about your experience there and the differences with San Francisco? Im certain there are many interesting historical facts about that state also.
February 17, 2014 at 2:30 pm
Thanks, John! You’ve been a loyal supporter of Sparkletack over the years, and I deeply appreciate that.
Aloy, thanks for you kind words as well. Portland is a West Coast city, and as such has many shared elements with others such as San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver – all settled by people heading West for escape and opportunity.
In the broadest sense, the largest differences between San Francisco and Portland historically may be the influence of Gold Rush (Portland was a timber town), and their respective locations on a fabulous bay vs. the confluence of two rivers.
I’d encourage a visit to see it for yourself – turns out that Portland is a friendly and wonderful city!
February 18, 2014 at 11:33 am
Thanks for all you’ve done for San Francisco history, making it accessible and fun for many people. Are these podcasts permanently preserved somewhere? On a hard drive or a server? I’d hate to see it all lost.
February 18, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Thanks for the praise, Susan – deeply appreciated, believe me.
Of course nothing digital is permanent, but the audio files live in reasonable security on Sparkletack’s server, and are archived on CDs at my home.
If the SFPL is interested in preserving digital copies, though, I am all ears!
February 18, 2014 at 9:46 pm
It is lovely to hear from you Richard. I miss Sparkletack, but know how hard it is to produce these things. We’re still out here and when you do something new, let us all know!
You might want to make sure that the Internet Archive has copies, so they will be preserved. History is valuable and worth keeping.
March 21, 2014 at 6:55 pm
Hello Richard
My friends in San Francisco always wonder how I know more than they do about their city when I am visiting them. I do miss your postings on here, but thank-you for leaving them up for everyone to enjoy. It’s a fantastic archive!
Best!
April 23, 2014 at 11:17 pm
Dear Richard,
I hope you know that your influence lives on. A year or so ago I bought a ticket to Emperor Norton’s Fantastic Time Machine Tour. It was a wonderful guided tour led by the reincarnation of Emperor Norton himself!
At the end of the tour, I asked the guide if he had ever heard of Sparkletack. I said your blog introduced me to Norton and that was why his tour caught my eye. He said that Sparkletack inspired him to research and create his tour sharing the life of Norton. He now has a very successful tour business as I’m sure you know.
Please think about writing again on Sparkletack – at least once a year.
A loyal fan,
E
April 24, 2014 at 4:03 pm
Hi Richard,
Thanks for writing. Though its sad to see that there wont be any more Sprackltacks, you’ve left us with hours of great stories. I know personally I’ve listened to many of them over and over again.
Thanks again for what you’ve left us.
May 23, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Hi!
I’m currently writing a fiction novel with San Francisco as the main backdrop, and your website is the perfect resource for me! Thanks again for all your hard work and commitment!
February 15, 2015 at 6:40 am
I just found your podcasts today. That’s me – always a day (ok a couple of years) late and a dollar short. Thanks for leaving these on the blog-o-sphere as I’m looking forward to exploring this site. I lived in San Francisco for 25 years before moving to Wuppertal Germany (I’ve been here for 11 years now). Found your blog while researching the 100th anniversary of the Panama Pacific Exhibition. Thanks for sharing all this information.
March 23, 2015 at 7:48 am
Richard, thank you for the wonderful Sparkletack podcasts, I just found them recently. Growing up in the 1960’s near San Francisco your stories brought back great memories. Living now near Astoria Oregon I wanted to let you know about a podcast about Oregon History. Off beat Oregon History http://offbeatoregon.com/index-2014.html that you and your listeners might enjoy.
August 22, 2015 at 5:56 am
Hello Richard! Only recently have I discovered your exciting site; I can tell I’m gonna be here for a while! Each podcast is so interesting and full of information that I enjoy listening at least twice.
Thank you for all you’ve done. Like previous poster Erica, I hope you will update us on your well-being every so often. Your curiosity, knowledge, incredible generosity, and smooth story-telling (among other wonderful traits, I’m sure) make you a very compelling person in your own right. You’re now part of San Francisco history. LOVE your work. Thank you!
September 3, 2015 at 9:31 am
I listen to many podcasts and yours is my favorite. I love the combination of topics, research, style and hospitality you offer in every podcast. So sad you aren’t making more of these. BEST podcasts ever.
October 28, 2015 at 2:15 am
Thank you for sharing your treasure trove! You’re a great narrator and storyteller. Best of luck!
May 5, 2017 at 6:52 pm
Thank you for these podcasts and wonderful collection of information. I’m visiting SF for the first time next month (from Australia). Usually when I travel I take as many walking tours as I can to get a good sense of the history of a city, interesting facts, people, etc. But as I will be travelling with my 18month old, and she doesn’t share the same fondness for tours and history just yet, I looked for a podcast to try to get a sense of the history, etc before I go. Wow! I am so glad to have stumbled upon this podcast. It’s like a pre-walking tour. Your narration is excellent and the information is well-thought out and composed. Thank you very much, I am really looking forward to this trip now that I have so many things to keep my eye out for. I’m sad that you’ve stopped recording, but hope you’ve moved on to bigger and better things.
December 14, 2017 at 6:37 pm
I am so glad you are leaving your website and podcasts up even though you are no longer adding to the project. I found your website after enjoying my second read-through of Kipling’s “Letters of Marque” which is what he calls them in the beautiful edition I have of his collected works. “We” are in San Francisco now, and I decided to google just a little to see if I could find the exact dates of his trip. I appreciate your posts on his visit and I know I am going to enjoy exploring more on your website.
February 25, 2018 at 9:15 am
Thank you for leaving the site up and thank you for all the research! I only recently stumbled upon the podcast and am greedily taking them in. I am a transplant to the Bay Area but have been a resident here for 31 years now. Having this rich history available is a true gift and makes me love this beautiful place even more.
Best of luck and kindest regards.
March 11, 2019 at 11:29 am
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know that your podcasts are still being enjoyed. I love them.
Thanks.
Denise
August 6, 2020 at 10:15 pm
One more note of enormous thanks to you.. I’ve loved these podcasts since they were new and am forever recommending them to people. not just for the wisdom and endless surprises, but for your fantastic delivery and honest joy in them.
They’re a true treasure. Thank you for this beautiful work.
Missy B