A Brief and Incomplete History - California Academy of Sciences
View of the Academy - 1960s
The California Academy of Sciences - on Market St
Mammoth on display at the initial Grant St Museum
Yes - the museum first opened on Market St, sometime after being founded in 1853. It was the first scientific research organization on the West coast. Specimens on display in the early years were primarily sourced by local naturalists. The museum first opened on Grant St in 1874, but later moved to a larger space on Market St. Before the 1906 earthquake destroyed the building and much of the collection, it had grown to include a giant wooly mammoth and taxidermied grizzly bears. The museum was very popular and recorded some 80,000 annual visitors.
California Academy of Sciences - Market St
The Mammoth moves to Market St!
The Atrium - post 1906 earthquake and fire
Luckily, at the time of the earthquake, Academy scientists were on a multi-year expedition to the Galapagos islands; returning with exciting new specimens for the new museum. Meanwhile, the Music Concourse in the Park had been developed for the Mid-Winter International Festival in 1894; and the people of San Francisco had voted to create a permanent museum on the site in 1910. The Academy moved into the newly constructed North American Hall on the south side of the Music Concourse in 1916. Over the years, the Academy has continued to expand to include the Steinhart Aquarium, Simson African Hall, Science Hall and the Morrison Planetarium. The 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake (yes, again) caused enough structural damage to the buildings that a reimagining became necessary to keep the Academy going long term. Most of the now 11 buildings remained open to the public until construction started in 2005. Using a mixture of public and private funds, the renovation took 3 years and reopened as we know it now in 2008. It now boasts 1.5 million visitors annually.
Academy Scientists on their way to the Galapagos Islands
Aerial Drawing of the Mid-Winter International Festival in 1894, the development of the Music Concourse
The Entrance to the North American Hall Building, was the entrance to the museum until 1969.
Footprint of the Academy - 1960s
Simson African Hall
Simson African Hall - 1960s
Cast of a T-Rex Skeleton in the 90s - Now Lives in the Lobby
The Whale Skeleton used to be displayed outside…
Steinhart Aquarium - A Battle with Developers
The aquarium first opened in 1923. It was the brainchild of two German immigrant brothers, and aquarium enthusiasts, the Steinharts. The Steinharts also provided the funds to build the aquarium, (under the condition that it would be maintained with public funds). There was some controversy over the proposed location of the aquarium, with many powerful individuals and group hoping for it to be built in the Marina district. Many were concerned that the park was becoming too much like an amusement park. The Marina district team was also highly motivated to develop the northern shore of San Francisco for financial gains. Luckily, the Golden Gate Park team won the day and also had the backing of our beloved John McClaren; the first Golden Gate Park Superintendent. When the aquarium opened, it was the largest (by cubic feet of water) in the United States.
Some notable exhibits over the years; a great white shark, Sandy, a rescued manatee, who ate 20 heads of lettuce a day, flashlight fish, discovered by Cal Academy scientists in the Indian Ocean; a pair of dolphins that lived in a tank that had water piped in from the ocean. Another fun fact - The 17”thick, 40,000 pound acrylic viewing panel that separates the elevator shaft from the Amazonian Flooded Forest is the heaviest panel onsite.
WATCH MORE… this video is cool, check it out.
Seal exhibit in front of the aquarium - 1923
Seals in 1926 - Danger Seals Will Bite (See the sign?)
Photograph of Aquarium Exhibits 1920s
Ornate Aquarium - 1920s
Aligator Exhibit - 1920s
Alligator Exhibit - with waterfall!
Butterball - the Rescued Manatee
Dolphin Tank
Morrison Planetarium - Let’s Just Build the Projector Ourselves
During WWII, the Academy contributed to the war effort by making roughly 10,000 lenses, and repaired approximately 6,000 pairs of Naval binoculars. As a gift after the war, the War Department gave the academy access to leftover parts. Most last scale projectors prior to WWII were fabricated in Japan and Germany, problematic. Especially because the German manufacturer, Zeiss Works, was on the Soviet zone of newly divided Germany. The only way the Academy was going to have a projector was to make one themselves, and luckily they were a bunch of folks who new their way around lenses. It turns out they managed to build the most realistic and reliable projector ever seen. The Morrison planetarium was opened in 1952, featuring the Morrison projector.
Optical Shop in Bird Hall - WWII
In true San Francisco style, a few years after opening, the planetarium presented a series of experimental light and sound shows; known as the Vortex concerts. From 1957 - 1959, visual artist Jason Belson and sound artist Henry Jacobs created and displayed their works at the planetarium. Sadly, the museum administration shut them down after the two year run, as they attracted the wrong kind of people to the Academy. However, in the 70’s and 90’s the planetarium displayed a similar show called Laserium. This show combined - you guessed it - lasers with loud pop and rock music; and was wildly popular. The administration also came to their senses and decided that having more people come to museum, no matter the reasoning, was a good thing.
During the major renovation in the 2000s, the planetarium was completely rebuilt with an all-digital dome. The original projector is being stored safely off-site. However, there are a few hints remaining of the Plantarium’s history.
An image from Vortex…
AND READ SOME MORE…
Earthquake Damage > Enter the Starchitect
Approximately, 1/2 billion dollars was spent on the renovation; with most of the funds resulting from private donations. Italian architect, Renzo Piano, was selected by the Academy for the redesign for his experience with environmentally efficient architecture, his ability to integrate old buildings with new structures, and his respect for the surrounding landscape. One of Piano’s most famous buildings is the Center Pompidou in Paris, which he designed in conjunction with Richard Rogers. However, over the years Piano has sought to distance himself from that particular design - in several of his writings he has eluded that it was a result of a brash young man’s need to make a statement. (I feel like a San Francisco Pompidou could have been fun too though…) The Academy’s administration was probably more attached to more recently completed works of Piano’s, such as the Beyeler Foundation in Switzerland.
The renovation preserved three of the original buildings; the African Hall, the North American Hall and the Steinhart Aquarium; covering them all with a unifying green roof.
