[Advertisement]. [Sutro Baths]

[SAN FRANCISCO CHILDREN'S BATHS, ca. 1890s]. Sutro Baths, School Children's Day!

San Francisco: Louis Roesch Co., c. 1890s. Single leaf, red-brown color, some tears and small chips along the edges. Very Good. Item #2876

Advertisement for a school children's "Play Day" at the Sutro Baths in San Francisco, which included bell ringing, acrobatic feats, dancing, and a special performance from the London Patomime and Comedy Company. The Sutro Baths (1896-1966) was a public saltwater swimming pool in San Francisco, built and owned by entrepreneur and former mayor of San Francisco Adolph Sutro, and heralded at its opening as the world's largest indoor swimming pool. Sutro's idea was to provide an inexpensive recreational swimming facility, mainly for the working class of San Francisco. In true progressive spirit, Sutro also included natural history exhibits at the entrance to the baths as an educational opportunity. However, due to their high maintenance and operating cost, the baths were eventually converted to an ice skating rink, and then sold in 1964 to property developers. A fire in 1966 destroyed what remained of the baths. Throughout its lifetime, the Sutro Baths were the setting for a handful of films, including two short films in 1897 by Thomas A. Edison and the 1958 American film noir, "The Lineup." This leaf was likely an early promotional piece for the Sutro Baths.

Price: $150.00