Some history: Cover for the Official Program for the Celebration. An item in my Numismatic Library. “Forward San Francisco Bay is bridged! Traffic flows over a great ribbon of steel and concrete eight and one-quarter miles long! That which has been envisioned for five decades has become a reality. Work was started on this vast project a little more than three years ago. San Francisco celebrates! The rejoicing is more than a tribute to the brains and brawn that went into this vast undertaking. It is more than a tribute to the engineering wonder of this decade. We celebrate a monument to the indomitable and undying spirit of the West. The Celebration The days from November 11th to 15th are gala ones for San Francisco. Into them are crowded all the glamour and all the joyful anticipation of what the bridge will mean to the future–a future well founded on a brilliant past. From Embarcadero to the Civic Center, Market Street is decorated to create an illusion that traffic is travelling on the floor of the bridge. Hospitality and festivity strike the keynote of the week. Clubs and lodges declare open house, hotels and night clubs offer special features. The shops hold fashion shows and Foreign quarters, picturesquely decorated, have special programs. For the unusual photographs used in this program credit is due to the California Toll Bridge Authority, Californians, Inc., and Gabriel Moulin. The Day and Hour Schedules of Events of the gayest and most elaborate Fiesta ever held in San Francisco are listed on the following pages. San Francisco Bay is bridged! Traffic flows over a great ribbon of steel and concrete eight and one-quarter miles long! That which has been envisioned for five decades has become a reality. Work was started on this vast project a little more than three years ago. Courtesy Official Souvenir Program, page 2. OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAM SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE CELEBRATION–NOVEMBER 11-15, 1936 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA CITIZENS’ COMMITTEE MAYOR ANGELO J. ROSSI, Honorary Chairman FRANCK R. HAVENNER, Chairman L. M. GIANNINI, Chairman, Finance SCHEDULE OF EVENTS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 9:30 A. M. Armistice Day Parade (Oakland) Parade forms at 8th and Harrison Streets. Proceeds to 12th Street to Broadway, up Broadway to 20th Street to Lake Merritt and follows lake shore to Scottish Rite Temple. 1:30 P. M. Military Pageant (Berkley) Drill and parade including many civic and fraternal organizations. California Memorial Stadium. 2:00 P. M. Football Game (San Francisco) University of San Francisco vs. Texas A. & M., Kezar Stadium. 3:45 P. M. Football Game (Berkley) California Memorial Stadium. 250th Coast Artillery of San Francisco vs. 159th Infantry of Oakland, immediately following the pageant. The West Bay Crossing from Yerba Buena Island. Page 3.
Thursday, November 12. The first of the three Gala Days in the great Five-Day Fiesta. In addition to scheduled events the following are of interest: East Bay Crossing. By night, looking toward Toll Plaza. World’s largest. Vehicular tunnel through solid rock is 76 feet wide, 58 feet high and 540 feet long. Night photograph. OPEN HOUSE. Commercial ships in bay open for public inspection between 10:00 A. M. and 5 P. M. at their respective docks. Yerba Buena Island. By night, looking east from East Portal of Tunnel. Drama in construction. Men worked hundreds of feet above and hundreds of feet beneath the waters of the Bay to raise and anchor the great towers. EXCURSION BOAT (San Francisco Bay) The ferry boat ‘City of Sacramento’ will be operated on the bay as an excursion boat taking in all the points of interest. Trips will last from two to three hours. Schedule of departure at the Southern Pacific Company. 9:00 A. M. Finish of River Boat Race (San Francisco). Racing Boats from Sacramento and Stockton will finish at Pier 3. 10:00 A. M. Marine Parade (San Francisco). 500 pleasure and work boats form at Pier 48-A for bay parade. Massed Flight of Navy Aircraft (San Francisco). 250 planes from aircraft carriers in bay will make a flight over the entire bay area from San Mateo to San Rafael.
The history continues: Just two years ago steel workers, at dizzy heights, were building the great W-3 Tower. Upper Deck. Six lanes of auto traffic over the gigantic span, p. 6. Ceremony at Bridge Head (Oakland). Governor Merriam’s party of officials and dignitaries met by East Bay Delegation and group from San Francisco for ceremony to precede actual opening of the bridge at eastern end. 10:00 to 12:00A. M. Rowing Club Races. Shells from local rowing clubs compete over a course off the Marina. 10:20 A. M. Marine Parade. Starting at Pier 48-A parade follows along the line of the bridge to Yerba Buena Island, under the bridge and back to the San Francisco shore line just north of Ferry Building, then along waterfront north and west to Transport Docks. 10:40 A. M. Dedication of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. (Oakland Bridgehead). The Governor, accompanied by an official party of civic and business leaders, will cut the link barrier. 11:00 A. M. Dedication at Bridgehead. (San Francisco). By Governor Merriam and party. Accompanied by a 19-gun salute and blowing of whistles by all merchant craft in bay. 11:00 to 11:30 A. M. Stunt Flying and additional maneuvers by flyers of Naval Air Force over bay in vicinity of Bridge and Yerba Buena Shoals. 11:30 A. M. Sea Scout Demonstration (San Francisco). This event includes sail boat and pulling boat races off Marina. 11:30 to 12:30 A. M. Air Show. Acrobatics, specialty stunts, sky writing, stunt flying by commercial aviators. 12:00 Noon Pacific Coast Yacht Regatta (San Francisco) Fourteenth Annual Pacific Coast Yacht Regatta. Sailing boats in all classes from practically every yacht club on Pacific Coast compete for championship trophies under supervision of Pacific Coast Yachting Association. Regatta will continue on Saturday, November 14. Races will cover entire north bay area. Start and finish lines off of St. Francis Yacht Club on Marina. They didn’t have to raise the bridge! Optical illusion caused by distance of battleship from bridge. Ample clearance at high tide for the largest vessel is afforded by 200 foot high decks of the West Bay Crossing. 12:30 P. M. Governor Merriam Luncheon (Oakland). Honoring Governor Merriam and San Francisco and East Bay officials and dignitaries. Official celebration luncheon Hotel Oakland, City of Oakland as host. 12:30 to 2:00 P. M. Air Craft Parade. Private air craft from bay area form parade starting from Mills Field. Parade up west side of bay, over line of bridge to Oakland, over Berkeley and Richmond across to Marin County, over line of Golden Gate Bridge, circle over San Francisco, cross to Oakland again along line of bridge. Thence to their respective airports. 1:00 to 4:00 P. M. Public Inspection of United States Fleet. All ships of Navy in Bay open for visiting and inspection by public between these hours each day while in port. 1:30 P. M. Purse Seiner Race (San Francisco). Fishing boats will compete for prizes over course from Marina to Richmond, past South Hampton shoals, back through Racoon Straits, past Alcatraz Island and back to finish off Marina. 2:00 P. M. Swimming Races (San Francisco). Various classes and distances raced by men and women. Diving exhibitions and other water sports held at S. F. Aquatic Park. Outboard Motorboat Events (Oakland). Outboard motor boats and other small boats compete on Lake Merritt. Atop Telegraph Hill. A gorgeous view of the Bay and the Bridge West Bay Crossing from the base of Coit Memorial.
In my very early days dabbling at coin dealership, I had a flea market space in Pasadena. An old fella came to my booth and showed me a coin he'd been holding since he had worked as a welder on the Bay Bridge. He decided he didn't need it any more, so he sold it to me. I almost didn't want to take it, considering his history, but I did. He was thrilled that I paid him the current wholesale price..he had no idea. It was a nice original unc, with OK toning from the manilla flip he had kept it in for all those years. May have gotten a 63 on a good day, but to me the story was worth it all. I resold it, and am now kinda sorry I did.
Great post, Lee. I love that program cover in the OP. Amazing feats of engineering were accomplished in the second quarter of the 20th c. While I generally tried to limit my hoard of commems to ones with Virginia references, I really like the Bay Bridge design.