Sutro Baths

Sutro Baths

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"10. SUTRO BATHS. INTERIOR LOOKING NORTH."
Adolph Sutro & Ladies of National Medical Convention, June 8, 1894
John Hall Collection

(close-up of above photo showing Adolph Sutro)

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"107 Sutro Baths interior, looking east, San Francisco, Cal. W.C. Billington, Photographer"
John Hall Collection

Sutro Baths Film

© October 25, 1897

Thomas A. Edison

Sutro Baths Official Programme

Feb 18 1906

Click here for more programs

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Credit: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Martin Behrman Collection

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Click above image for ultra-high resolution....can you spot someone doing a handstand? Estimated date: 1910.

Change of Plans

John Martini notes an interesting glitch in the construction...

I was reviewing the construction photos and noticed something curious; the below views indicate that part of the bathhouse building was actually demolished during construction.

The first photo shows construction sometime in January-February 1893. (The rising columns and trusses help date these images.) Notice the circled area in the vicinity of the future Grand Staircase.

Sutro Baths construction c1893 (BANC 19991.02)

The next photo was taken around June 1894. This time, most of the previously-completed work is missing

This makes me speculate that Sutro changed his mind and directed the architects to tear down new construction while work was still in progress, much like Hearst did to Julia Morgan at San Simeon. It's a minor point, but still interesting. -John Martini 2008

And from John Hall...

"Based on my study of the SF Library plans the construction shown in the first photo follows the original plans. There were to be two "Towers," one each side of the grand stair case. Each with an elevator. Your first photo shows the beginning of the northern tower. I think what probably happened is that they realized the "towers" blocked the views from the grandstands. So they demolished the western portion and left it open with just columns. Only one elevator was constructed and it was an open cage running on vertical rails. The eastern portion of the structure then became the windowed structure you see in the photos of the grand staircase. The funny thing is that the roof of the baths was constructed to accommodate both elevators even though only one was built.

A similar thing happened with the 1896 Cliff House. The large dormers on the north and south sides below the tower were not built according to plan. I think someone realized that if they were built to plan there would be no bearing walls for the tower. At least that's what happened to my model when I built it "to plan." I had to modify it using the photos of the building. John" - John Hall 2008

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Reverse: "Taken at the Cliff House on our 3 hrs trip seeing San Francisco, Sept 1, 1913"

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Sutro Baths - August 1915
John Hall Collection

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Scan courtesy of Dave D. (not related to individuals in photo)
(reverse: "Kids at Sutro's Aug 1918")

Dave D's recollections: "I was born in San Francisco in 1952 and remember visiting the Museum and Ice Rink. As you descended the entry stairway towards the museum a left turn brought you to the ice rink entry stairwell. Just before reaching the stairwell there was a wooden case in the middle of the hallway about three feet tall and about three foot square. On top was a clear piece of glass that one could peer into and through a series of mirrors was able to look down a series of shafts that afforded a view of the ice rink from three floors above. I believe that the upper restaurant area at this time (in the early 1960's) was used for coin operated binoculars focused on Seal Rocks. The rear glass wall of the ice rink that was the separation from the old baths had a hand painted winter village scene across the entire wall. Kids would scratch off the paint to create peep holes for a view of the creepy old (haunted) baths. I've read that many of the curiosities purchased by Sutro came from Woodward's Gardens. The Baths were already closed when I was a boy but the Sutro Museum and Ice Skating Rink were still running. I had just turned 14 years old in 1966 when Sutros was lost to fire. The column of smoke drifted south over the Sunset district and headed south for Pacifica. It burned for three days. On the morning of the fourth day curiosity got the better of me, so my friend and I boarded an 18 Sloat and walked up the hill from Playland. The pit was still smoldering and yellow police tape was still surrounding the perimeter. Down below the tape was an old Sutro office cement vault room with the door open. Under the tape and down the hill we went. Inside the vault room was an 1800's hand painted safe about 5 feet tall and with the doors opened. it was empty of course except for a small box of Sutro Bath Admission tickets. The tickets were in decent shape considering the inferno they survived."