Review of "San Francisco's Lost Landmarks" by James R. Smith

This is a paperback and anyone who likes San Francisco will enjoy this book. It is filled with black and white picture and stories about the history of this city. I am a native and I really liked this book, Legends and lost landmarks are fascinating to read about. Smith takes us to the various islands in the Bay and tells about the abandoned Gold-Rush Fleet. The sand dunes of the area are all built over now but when I was little we used to play in them and spend a lot of time sweeping sand off of our front porches. Still I didn’t know there was a Chutes ride on Haight Street or something called, The Cobweb Palace, on Fisherman's Wharf. Adolph Sutro and the Cliff House are both famous and instantly recognizable. The Baths are gone, but these pictures bring back a lot of memories. San Francisco has always had lots of restaurants, but many of them have faded into the past. There was a place called Coffee Dan's where it was a big deal to bang your cups for applause. Included in the history is a lot of information about the Golden Gate International Exhibition held on beautifulTreasure Island. The island was built in the middle of the bay and the charm of the fair is well spoken of in this book. There is so much more to the history and the times that were lost in San Francisco. It all make for a fascinating read.