Places From the Past • 1957

The Mechanics' Institute Library. Founded in 1854, and still a working library. My father showed it to me when I was nine. I got a card there and when we went into the city he dropped me off there while he did errands. Inside were spiral staircases leading to the stacks - thousands of hardcover books on subjects that would provide an excellent education for those left in the wake of the Gold Rush, for all the sons and daughters of the working class. Chess has been played there since it opened, and I was fascinated by the mysteries of the game, and the classic typography and illustrations and design of so many books that were no longer being published. It was like finding a trove of buried treasure that reinforced my desire to read everything possible.
   I urge you to visit it, both for it's historical and cultural significance, and in recognition of the fine work done by its staff.

57 Post Street
San Francisco
California