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Saturday, December 9, 2023, 2 pm: Book Talk with Susan Austin
The Bamboo Garden, the 1923 Fire and an Unlikely Friendship On September 17, 1923, the strong, dry Diablo winds from the east were in full effect when a fire erupted just east of the Berkeley Hills ridge line near Wildcat Canyon. The fire quickly swept over the hill and down into the heart of Berkeley. In…
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Saturday, November 25, 2023, 1-4 pm: Special Event with Steven Finacom
Special One-Day Showing: Early Berkeley “Tinted Photos” and Their History By the early 20th century, photographs were coming into their own as an art form. Many Berkeleyeans proudly displayed on their walls not only traditional paintings and etchings, but artistic photographs taken by both commercial and amateur photographers, often elaborately framed under glass. Favorite subjects…
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Sunday, November 5, 2023: Opening Event for “The 1923 Fire: Berkeley’s First Wildfire Disaster,” 3–5 pm
The Berkeley Historical Society & Museum will commemorate the centennial of the fire that destroyed hundreds of homes just north of the UC campus in the fall of 1923. Be among the first to see newly discovered photographs, newspaper accounts, and information about what else was happening in Berkeley during 1923, a year of transitions.…
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Saturday, November 11, 10 am: Tamalpais-Shasta Loop Walk
Led by Bob Johnson The walk will cover Tamalpais Road and the nearby neighborhood with a wealth of architecture, history, former homes of famous people (like Robert Oppenheimer), unique public paths, and a great view (weather permitting); moreover, a creek runs through it. We will be at the edge of the 1923 fire area and…
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Saturday, October 14, 10 am: Radical 60s Walk
Led by Harvey Smith The McGee-Spaulding District could be considered a hotbedof Berkeley 1960s radicalism and counterculture given thenumber noted activists and alternative living communitieslocated in the neighborhood. This walk will explore themany locations where activists lived and the houses that werehome to experimental communes. We will briefly explorethe political and social roots of these…
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Saturday, October 7: Kensington Park Walk
Led by Bob Johnson In the past often considered as an extension of Berkeley,Kensington developed in the early twentieth century and washome to many people associated with UC Berkeley. We will reviewa bit of the history (including the home of a very famous formerresident), see some varied architecture, explore public paths andenjoy occasional views. This…
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Sunday, September 24, 3 pm: Joe Lurie on the Historic Role of International House in Desegregating Berkeley
Joe Lurie, International House Executive Director Emeritus, intercultural communications trainer, and award-winning author of Perception and Deception, a Mind-Opening Journey Across Cultures, will speak on “The Groundbreaking Role of I-House and its Chinese and Black Residents in Desegregating Berkeley and Beyond.”
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Saturday, September 23, 10 am: Walking Tour, Berkeley Rep Backstage Areas
Led by Tom Parrish The award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre had its beginnings with its 1968 home on College Avenue, moved to its current facility in 1980 on Addison Street with its 400-seat Peet’s Theatre, and completed its state-of-the-art 600-seat Roda Theatre next door in 2001. In 2022, BRT completed its long-planned housing facility on Addison…
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August 20, “150 Years of UC Berkeley Campus Landscape Art” with Steven Finacom, 2-4 pm
SOLD OUT – SORRY! The Berkeley Historical Society & Museum announces a gallery talk and special viewing of a short-term exhibit of artworks depicting the landscape of the UC Berkeley campus and environs over many decades. The event will take place at the Julia Morgan Hall of the UC Botanical Garden on Sunday, August 20,…
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July 9: Architect Eugene Tssui, The Berkeley Years, 1983 to 1999, 3-5 pm
An illustrated talk by the designer of the “Fish House” in Berkeley and many other visionary buildings. Besides being an environmentally-oriented architect, Tssui has been an 8-time world amateur boxing champion, 4-time Senior Olympics gymnastics champion, concert pianist, flamenco guitarist, and designer of clothing and furniture. Our current exhibit tells about many noteworthy Chinese Americans connected…
A Window on the Past, "Exactly Opposite the Golden Gate"