Sir Francis Drake Hotel San Francisco Black and White Photography by Ralph Young, 1930

Details

Description

An original silver gelatin black and white photograph by Ralph Young Studios, San Francisco. View of the Sir Francis Drake … Read more An original silver gelatin black and white photograph by Ralph Young Studios, San Francisco. View of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel building in 1930.
Features:
Original silver gelatin print photography unframed.
Commercial photography.
Photographer: Ralph Young Studios.
Title: Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco.
Provenance: Private collection.
Image Size: 9.84 in high (25.2 cm) x 7.48 in wide (19.9 cm) - Archivally matted in a 17 in x 13 in mat.
The ink stamp at the back reads: "Ralph Young Studios - San Francisco."
Hand-written legend at the back along with order number.
The piece will be shipped in a mat (17 x 13 in) that fits a standard-sized frame.

About:
The Sir Francis Drake Hotel is a historic 416-room building that opened in 1928 in San Francisco, California and is located at the corner of Sutter and Powell Streets, adjacent to Union Square.
The Sir Francis Drake Hotel takes its name after the English explorer who, in 1579, narrowly missed discovering San Francisco Bay and instead sailed the Golden Hind into Drakes Bay 28 miles north. The building was built by Midwestern hotel developers Leon W. Huckins and John A. Newcomb for $5 million. In October 1928, the grand opening attracted a crowd of 10,000 people during a two-day open house, with officials like San Francisco Mayor Jimmy Rolph, Jr., and California Governor C. C. Young. Orchestras played, and banquets were held to celebrate what headlines at the time described as "The last word in hotels" for innovations and amenities such as an indoor golf course, ice water on tap, and radios in every guest room. Another feature was the Servidor, a panel in the guest room doors that allowed staff to deliver dry cleaning and other items without disturbing guests.
After the stock market crash in 1929, the hotel still prospered, attracting Hollywood luminaries like Dolores del Río, Myrna Loy, Barbara Stanwyck, and The "Our Gang" child actors, as well as dance troupes and vaudeville players. In 1933, Prohibition was repealed, and in 1936, the hotel opened the Parisian Room, a supper club on the street level that became a popular San Francisco nightspot featuring dancing, dramatic lighting, and murals painted by A.B. Heinsbergen. Legendary San Francisco columnist Herb Caen dubbed the Persian Room "The Snake Pit" because, he said, "You never heard such hissing or saw such writhing."
Sir Francis Drake Hotel was sold to Conrad Hilton in 1938. It was his first hotel outside of Texas. Hilton sold the hotel to industrialist E. B. DeGolia on December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Western Hotels (later Western International, today Westin) assumed the property's management. During World War II, blocks of rooms were taken over by the U.S. military, and the hotel was the scene of many tearful farewells and joyous reunions as troops made their way to and from the Pacific. The Sir Francis Drake Hotel gained a reputation for being the hub of San Francisco's nightlife during and after the war. This was due to the immense popularity of its Persian Room and Starlight Room (known as the Starlite Roof back then) - a nightclub that offered dining, dancing, and live orchestras.
In 1965, Bewitched star Paul Lynde and James "Bing" Davidson, a 24-year-old actor, checked into the hotel together. After a few hours of drinking, tragedy struck when Davidson accidentally fell to his death from the window of 819.
Princess Hotels bought The Drake Hotel in 1970 and assumed management from Western International on December 1, 1970. As the hotel approached its 50th anniversary, an extensive $5 million restoration was undertaken, equivalent to its original construction cost. Renovation commenced in 1971 and involved the restoration of lobby paintings depicting Drake's explorations, along with the original ironwork and chandeliers coated with layers of paint over time. Completed in 1974, the project also revealed and restored the grand marble staircase. The renovation reduced the number of rooms from 600 to 386. Meanwhile, famed doorman and local personality Tom Sweeney took his post at Drake Hotel's entrance with his red Beefeater uniform. He reportedly takes about 500 pictures a day.
In the late 1980s, the hotel ran into financial difficulties. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants founder Bill Kimpton saved the iconic hotel in 1993 by forming an investment partnership that purchased the property for $22 million. Another $9 million was invested to renovate the entire building inside and out, and the hotel was renamed the Kimpton Sir Francis Drake Hotel. In 2005, Kimpton Hotels sold the hotel to a group of international investors known as SFD Partners, LLC. Their successor, the Chartres Lodging Group, sold the hotel in 2010 to Pebblebrook Hotel Trust for $90 million. Kimpton continued to manage the hotel until it closed temporarily in March 2020 due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pebblebrook announced in February 2021 that they would sell Sir Francis Drake Hotel for $157.6 million to the Connecticut-based Northview Hotel Group. The sale closed on April 1, 2021. See less