Revisit mid-century San Francisco through photos and videos of vintage matchbooks and neon signs .

About this Event

Revisit mid-century San Francisco through photos and videos of vintage matchbooks and neon signs from the nightclubs, hotels, and late-night greasy spoons that shaped Tenderloin nightlife. Back by popular demand, this one-hour virtual tour features imagery and stories researched by hosts Katie Conry from the Tenderloin Museum with Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan of SF Neon.

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This event is part of Seasons of Neon, an ongoing series of illuminating talks and tours presented by the Tenderloin Museum and SF Neon that celebrate the recent publication of Neon: A Light History (Giant Orange Press, 2021) and explore San Francisco history through the city’s rich legacy of iconic glowing signs.

Existing at the intersection of material culture and built environment, neon signs are emblematic of the many small businesses that comprise a vital thread in the dynamic tapestry of the urban ecosystem. The Tenderloin and Mid-Market sport the densest concentration of extant neon in the Bay Area, which makes the Tenderloin Museum an ideal forum to consider neon and its powerful, often overlooked ability to chronicle a city and its people.

Can't make it that night? Be sure to tune in to SF Neon's YouTube channel to view the recorded Zoom webinar. Videos will be available for viewing for up to one week.