...no more ballyhoo!

Throughout Golden Gate Park there are many signs to look at, some directional, some informative, and some are simply for decorative purposes. During our time walking around we saw many different types of the signs teaching us about our current surroundings.

            The beginning of our journey started off with a stadium like building surrounding a field. Our class tried to find information on the buildings founder, however could only find a plaque about a famous athlete who used to play there. The sings in this area were a little lacking especially for a building so beautifully designed as the one we first walked through. While walking we saw signs that showed what certain buildings were and their purpose. First we looked in the art building near hippy hill. Here we were kicked out because it was not open, however there was no sign informing us of this. I personally was a little disgusted by the event mainly because it showed a lack of detail in the system. Also, the woman in charge was not friendly at all. Next we wandered to the AIDS memorial site that was absolutely incredible. The layout of the space was long and there were rocks with memorial engravings them spread out throughout the area. The signs here were clear that the area we were in was a dedication to all those who lost there lives to the terrible disease. The signs here were very meticulous and beautiful. After this area we walked around the museums, which was pretty cool. The museums are very different from each other almost polar opposites in fact. The De Young museum is very industrial and somewhat cold, where as the academy of sciences is vibrant and light. Each museum had a different signage system that was wonderful to compare because again, they are so different from one another. Finally, the last sign I can remember seeing was that of the park map. This sign was interesting to me because during our trip we got lost, mainly due to my awful sense of direction, however this was a the first one I saw. I think that the park, especially because its absolutely massive, should have many more maps like this around so hopeless wanderers like myself will know where I am going.

            Overall the signs in the park were pretty awesome. The colors, designs, and compositions never bored me.  The signs are almost a timeline to the park illustrating its history and its eternal charisma. 

"What A Wonderful Day In The Neighborhood"

Haight and Ashbury are two intersecting streets that became the center of a vivacious neighborhood in the mid 1960’s. The crossroads symbolize the summer of love, when the psychedelic scene began. For a period of time many people would come to the area and experience the newly discovered “hippy” subculture lifestyle.

            The two street signs became the national symbol for the area during its hippy movement. Many tourists now a days come back to visit the still colorful neighborhood to experience a slight feeling of what it was like forty three years back. The streets are still filled with psychedelic art and murals painted on the sides of homes and stores. Many of the stores have head shops, which is an example and continuum of the time period. Also, stores in the district will have peace signs and symbols representing the summer of love and the overall atmosphere of it all. The signs along the roads vary is size and creativity. There are large signs that are coming out of people’s houses and small signs standing in front of a doorway. The counterculture in the area was extremely dense back in the sixties due to the fact they opposed the social standards of society at the time.  Many of the hippies would go against being in the mainstream and would live independently and go against social standards. This force was undeniably prevalent back in the sixties in all sorts of outlets, such as lifestyle, media and politics. The overall atmosphere of Haight-Ashbury is still very much the same as it was back then with the signs still indicating the hippy movement vide and in such a creative colorful ways.

            This beautiful district shines brightly with all its artistic decorations that only add to its rich history. The area is a wonderful place to get a sense of the valuable movement and counterculture that was created.  

"NO DUMPING"

Andrew Cole

2/6/12

Thought Paper 2

The photo that I have selected to write about happens to be my favorite of the bunch. It’s a small sign embedded on the sides of the roads stating “No Dumping”. The sign has various indications and reasoning’s for being placed where it is.

            The sign that I chose is placed near a drain on the side of the road. The message is simple and clear saying “Only Rain Down The Drain” which I like a lot. I think that they made it very simple and rhyme so it would catch on and people would feel worse about dumping trash there. The sign is intended for all those people who consider doing so or have done so in the past. The sign creates a sense of place partly because it has a slight hint of order to it, which creates the feeling of collectiveness and cleanliness. I feel like I would feel this even no matter what area or part of San Fran I was in. Back in the day I don’t think they had anything like this especially not 100 years ago. I think that people would just throw there trash away all over especially because they probably did not have these intricate drainage systems. And they definitely not use as vibrant colors for their signs if they were to have them.

            I think that this signs specific purpose is simple and very clear, keeping a slight order and a sense of place throughout. The crab also adds a little fun illustration, which everyone loves! 

My Expectations

Thought Paper 1

Andrew Cole

What do you want to see when touring the neighborhoods of San Francisco. How is studying signage in San Francisco ethnography or visual anthropology?

While touring the streets of the beautiful San Francisco I hope to see imagery that represents the city’s spontaneous personality. I would like to be able to experience the different parts of town and clearly see changes in how the signage is spread throughout different demographics. Studying the signs throughout the city would help me understand San Francisco’s ethnography and how they developed over time.

When traveling through the city I want to learn the types of transportations and how people get around the city. I think that traveling by public transportation can be a very important part of learning new areas. By doing so one can learn different sections of the town, routes to take for certain destinations and they kinds of people who take the public transit systems. Walking throughout the city is going to be a great way to see gradual changes in the signage systems. We will be able to see transitional areas going from more developed areas to low developed sections. To me this is important to see because what I know about signage is that it is all strategic. This aspect interests me along with seeing all the amazing colors they create.  Next, I believe that while traveling and studying the signage is a great way to get to know the ethnography of the city. By studying the signs we get a sense of why they were placed in those areas. This obviously introduces a background to an area, such as if the signs cater to more of an African American or Mexican population. Which I could conclude the area that we are in has a high concentration of those races.

I hope to learn all that I can about San Francisco through its amazing signage and imagery by traveling through different areas. As well as learning the ethnography of the sections we are studying.