Research Gift Receipients
2017
San Francisco architect and historian Glenn Lym used his research gift to partly fund his historical documentary HERE6: Scapegoat -- The 1871-1906 San Francisco City Hall.
Glenn's film tells the story of the successes and failure of the grand City Hall that San Francisco commenced in 1871, only to see it destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Scapegoat delves into the social history of San Francisco during a period in which the City moved from early-growth optimism into a polarization in wealth. City Hall's collapse during the 1906 quake was seized upon by the Republican and Democratic national elite as a pawn in a successful coup d'etat, removing the Union Labor Party from control of San Francisco.
2016
In 2016, we gave Mission District historian and writer Elizabeth Creely a gift to transcribe the meeting minutes of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a benevolent fraternal society, and use its rich biographical and historical data to research and create a digitized and searchable online map and atlas of Irish San Francisco, focusing on the years 1898–1920. She is cross-referencing members' names with city directories, San Francisco newspaper accounts, and other source material to provide clarification and context.
Taryn Edwards of the Mechanics' Institute Library will use her gift to conduct research for her forthcoming book,To the Land of Golden Butterflies: The Life of California Hero Andrew Smith Hallidie. She aims to tell the story of the cable car pioneer’s remarkable life within the context of the Gold Rush period, the reaction and participation of California in the Civil War, the politics of San Francisco up until the turn of the 20th century, and Hallidie's role in the development of California’s literary and educational institutions.
Steven Fidel Herraiz is a historian whose specialist subject is Irish Hill and Dogpatch. He will be using his research grant funds to conduct further investigative research into this long-forgotten working-class industrial area in the southeastern part of the city. He continues researching the neighborhood of Irish Hill and is seeking old photographs, many of which are likely in the hands of descendants of the hill's original residents.
Steven has discovered another mystery. Irish Hill's remaining buildings were razed in June 1918. However, in 1923, the Union Iron Works built a three-story cafeteria on Illinois Street near 20th Street. The building also featured a cobbler shop, cigar shop, and other small businesses that catered to the needs of 2,500 shipyard workers. Newspaper articles from 1918 state that the Union Iron Works claimed that the Irish Hill buildings were demolished for this new cafeteria despite it not being built for another five years. A bigger mystery is why the cafeteria was razed just three years after it was built (1928) and why the property has remained a parking lot ever since then.
2015
Research Gift description coming soon
2014
Research Gift description coming soon
2013
Research Gift description coming soon
2012
Research Gift description coming soon
2011
In 2011, the SFHA awarded three research gifts that showcase a variety of historical research.
David Giesen of the Henry George Historical Society wrote a short play, Dogs and Coyotes, Baseballs and Rabbits, based on historical news accounts of Bernal Heights youth and their exploits on the hill. David has assembled a teen cast via the Bernal Youth Theater and begun script rehearsals.
Geordie Lynch, co-director of Silver Rush documentary City of White Gold: San Francisco in the Gilded Age, used the funds to record a video interview with Terence Young on the creation of Golden Gate Park. Geordie was SFHA’s guest speaker in February 2012, and updated us on the progress of his film.
Lakeshore Elementary schoolteacher Oliver Glover and his second-grade class are working on a project titled “Exploring San Francisco’s History Through Architecture.” Students will visit sites of interest around the city, examine historical resources and artifacts, and create artistic projects and illustrations.
2010
“Transcription of Interview with George Whitney”
Woody LaBounty, Western Neighborhoods Project
2009
“The Beatniks: A Study of San Francisco in the 1950s”
Valerie Ziegler and Shamira Gratch, Abraham Lincoln High School
“Oral History Project”
Bianca Hill and Kristi Coale, Star of the Sea Elementary School
In 2009, SFHA provided a research gift to Lincoln High School teachers Valerie Ziegler and Shamira Gratch. They had created a unit on the Beat generation in San Francisco. The SFHA research gift provided funds for a field trip to North Beach.
The teachers sent SFHA a two-sided thank-you note (shown here) signed by the students.
Some of the notes from the students:
"The fieldtrip was a fun and exciting experience. Thank you all so much for helping us learn more about San Francisco history."
"Thank you for providing us an opportunity to learn more about the Beat generation. It¹s people like you who help our generation grow into greater individuals."
"I loved the museum. It was so cool. I learned so much about the beat generation."
"We all had tons of fun and learned much about the beats and what they were all about."
"I learned a lot more than I expected."
2008
2007
“Mural Art Project”
Andrew Mughannam, Mission Dolores Elementary School
2006
“San Francisco: 100 Years of Pivotal History”
Audrey Perada-Magnusen, Archbishop Riordan High School
“Class of 2006”
Jane Muramoto Yung, Presidio Middle School
“Sunnyside History Project, Sunnyside Neighborhood Association”
Jennifer Heggie, Sunnyside Elementary School
Archbishop Riordan High School Project
Presidio School Project & Sunnyside History Day Project
2005
“San Francisco Histories Book Making Project”
Oliver Glover, Lakeshore Elementary School
“Waves and Layers II,” photography class
Jack Alter, Lincoln High School
2004
“Sunset District interviews with photographs”
Jack Alter, Lincoln High School
“Discovery Box and Historical San Francisco Travel Brochure”
Lakeshore Elementary School
“Dramatic Performance about Mission Dolores”
George Moscone Elementary School