The City that Knows how

As anyone who knows me is clearly aware, I adore the vintage style and history of a grand San Francisco landmark. So it comes as no surprise that such a monument of 1915 will stand as this week’s subject and backdrop. A grand memory I cherish comes from afternoon strolls through “the city that knows how,” a phrase that has over the years represented San Francisco’s spirit. As a young girl I was introduced to the Palace of Fine Arts by a dated souvenir booklet from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, given to me by a man who had experienced it himself as a child, my belated grandfather and mentor, Robert Alexander. With each visit I am reminded of his depiction of the fabulous exposition that housed a masterful collection of photographs, etchings, and sculptures. It was something never seen before at that time, such a display of grandeur and an opportunity for San Francisco to showcase its resurrection after the 1906 earthquake. One of my grandfather’s favorite exhibits was a 432-foot tall tower of colored glass pieces; a kaleidoscope of color, it was nicknamed the “Jewel City.” My fondest of my grandfather’s vignettes tells the story of the weeping maidens that stand high atop the colonnade. It’s been said that they were weeping, because all the art would soon be leaving the palace; as it turned out, visitors of the exposition wept at the conclusion of the 9-month fair, though it always lived on in their hearts.To conduct a photo-shoot among the six hundred and thirty-five acres of land that my grandfather and I once strolled when I was a young child is, in many ways, priceless beyond expectation. My greatest love (besides vintage fashion, of course) is historical landmarks – but what I truly love above all is how the two can seamlessly merge together to create harmonious synergy. I forged a connection with history with the touch of a mahogany mink coat that once belonged to my grandmother, overlaying an elegant yet sleek V-neck sheath with slit. The ensemble, accompanied by the shimmer of a vintage-inspired jewel-encrusted pump, revives a vintage concept of a past era.Today the Palace of Fine Arts is a lasting reminder of an event which welcomed the world to a city with such history, San Francisco, where it still continues to steal the hearts of those who visit and admire it. For me it’s a lasting memory of a time when exploration was seen as adventurous, the warm hand I held of my grandfather while I stared above to the weeping maidens as they cried upon me in the sky, and the picturesque landscape I photographed as a college student; the Palace is truly a landmark of lasting memories.
City of Paris, San Francisco Millinery (view history here)  Mink Fur Coat, Doris Alexander (similar here)  Banana Republic Vented Sheath & Gold Box Clutch (similar here & here)  Antique Pink Rose Earrings (similar here) Vintage Leather Gloves (similar here)  Ivanka Trump ‘Camara‘ Pumps