THE BIRDS OF ALCATRAZ: Early on a Rainy Morning

EARLY ON A RAINY MORNING, BEFORE THE TOURISTS ARRIVE, the gulls have not only the warden’s house but most of the island to themselves. When I was a kid, there was nothing beautiful about Alcatraz, just the mystery of what went on there. Now, amid the ruins and decay, it is not hard at all to find beauty in what was once such a foreboding place. My wife "Gaki" and I love it there, especially in the winter when there are less visitors. I've been there several times and we plan to go many more.

Copyright 2014 by Brian S. A. O'Neil.  All rights reserved.

THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS, San Francisco

THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS (north side) - in a sense it's hard to believe that this fantastic place is going to be 100 years old next year - it seems so much a part of San Francisco's "today."

FOGGY AFTERNOON

AFTERNOON FOG at the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary located in the historic old Coast Guard Station at Crissy Field on the San Francisco Presidio. For those of you that read THE BUNDORI MURDERS, by moi, you might recall Inspector Gallagher spending some time here investigating a grisly homicide. But yesterday, other than a little wind and fog, and a LOT of people out enjoying the afternoon along the bay, there wasn't much going on.

Copyright 2014 By Brian S. A. O'Neil. All rights reserved.

THE OLD GUARDHOUSE ~ ALCATRAZ

ON THE ROOF OF THE OLD GUARDHOUSE ~ ALCATRAZ

ALCATRAZ

SFPD CRIME SCRAPBOOK: 1909

The San Francisco History Center has been hard at work processing archival records of the San Francisco Police Department. The collection consists of approximately 65 linear feet of records issued or compiled by the Board of Police Commissioners, the Chief of Police, and other offices and bureaus of the SFPD, circa 1880s-1960s. They contain newspaper stories covering local crimes as well as throughout the state from 1908 thru 1933. In addition, the scrapbooks document other events involving SFPD including accidents, runaways, suicides, etc.