Interior, 2747 Mathews St. Photo: John Storey This is the second part of our story on Eugene Tssui’s “Fish House.” Read Part One, which was published Monday. After Eugene Tssui’s father died, his mother moved out of the Fish House into an apartment in Emeryville. What to do with the Fish House? A student from […]
Tom Dalzell
Freelancer Tom Dalzell has lived in Berkeley since 1984. After working for Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers for 10 years as a legal worker and then lawyer, he went to work for another labor union in 1981 and has been there since, first as an attorney, and, since 2006, as its elected leader. In his free time he walks the streets of Berkeley, street by street and block by block, recording and photographing the quirky material culture that he finds. Dalzell, who is an expert on slang, writes the Quirky Berkeley blog and contributes to Berkeleyside about his finds, both in the present tense and with an occasional foray into Berkeley’s non-conformist past.
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How Quirky is Berkeley? Eugene Tssui’s Fish House, Part 1
The “Fish House” at 2747 Mathews St. in Berkeley. Photo: John Storey The “Fish House” at 2747 Mathews St. in Berkeley, designed by Emeryville’s Eugene Tssui, is the least-expected and probably the most-photographed architectural design in Berkeley. 2747 Mathews St. Photo: John Storey 2747 Mathews St. Photo: John Storey 2747 Mathews St. Photo: Joe Reifer The […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? Danielle Steel’s ‘Joyful Women’
The “Joyful Women” sculptures that belonged to Danielle Steel. Now at Ohmega Salvage, 2403 San Pablo Ave. Photo: John Storey The “Joyful Women” sculptures that belonged to Danielle Steel. Now at Ohmega Salvage, 2403 San Pablo Ave. Photo: John Storey The three seven-foot ceramic women stretching their arms to the sky and joyfully greeting drivers […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? Olivia Hunter’s Butterfly House
The Butterfly House at 1140 Bancroft Way. Photo: John Storey Olivia Hunter is a retired hairstylist who grew up at 1140 Bancroft Way, at the corner of Curtis Street. She remembers a happy childhood filled with family (her grandparents lived next door on Bancroft), the overflowing hippie scene of Berkeley, and the excitement and fun of […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? Baseball bas-relief, part two
2310 Ninth St. Photo: John Storey 2310 Ninth St. Photo: John Storey In August, I posted a story and plea on Berkeleyside. I asked if a Berkeleyside reader might know something about the wonderful bas-relief tiles celebrating the Oakland A’s found on this 1916 West Berkeley garage/studio. Within minutes I had my answer. Go Berkeleyside! Two artists […]
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Berkeley: The 50th anniversary of 50 years ago
Telegraph Avenue from Durant to Haste. Photo: courtesy Tom Stetler David and Paula Stetler live in Wilmington, North Carolina, as does their son Tom Stetler. David and Paula lived in Berkeley in the early 1960s. David earned his Phd. in botany from the University of California in 1967. Paula graduated from Mills College in 1963 […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? Bulwinkle on Telegraph Avenue
2454 Telegraph Ave. Photo: John Storey As the old Cody’s bookstore building on the southwest corner of Telegraph Avenue and Haste Street rises from the ashes, Ken Sarachan’s vision for the Mad Monk Anachronistic Media Center has begun to emerge. When Sarachan moved his Rasputin’s records into the space that today is Bear Basics at […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? A caboose on Fifth Street
Caboose at 1406 Fifth St. Photo: John Storey Caboose at 1406 Fifth St. Photo: John Storey There is something about trains that is profoundly American. Thomas Wolfe wrote of “the great trains that cleave through gulch and gully,” of the “great trains that thunder over America.” The image and reality and lore of the railroad are deeply […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? Pardee Street democracy fence
1034 Pardee St. Photo: Colleen Neff In 1978, Chinese democracy movement activists created the Democracy Wall in Bejing. Ideas and opinions were openly expressed, a novel concept. “The Cultural Revolution Must be Reevaluated!” “Mao Zedong was 30% right and 70% wrong!” Heady stuff. Perhaps the most enduring of the postings was Wei Jingsheng’s Fifth Modernization. Democracy Wall […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? Fairy Mural on Chaucer Street
Scottish Brownie at 1110 Chaucer St. Photo: John Storey The concept of “mural” takes a new life at 1110 Chaucer St., just above San Pablo Avenue between Channing Way and Bancroft Way. Winding its way from the east end of the house westward, around the corner of the house and up to the chimney, is […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley? The Hamm-sty on McGee
1735 McGee St. Photo: John Storey The home of the Hamm-sty, 1735 McGeeSt., is a small, neat house in neighborhood of small, neat houses in the northern flats. Throughout the fairly immaculate garden and on the porch there are a lot of pig figures. Rusty pigs and ceramic pigs. A little farm scene behind a fence […]
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How Quirky is Berkeley: Baseball bas-relief on 9th Street
2310 9th Street. Photo: John Storey Now is the time for all good Berkeleyside readers to come to the aid of the party. The bas-relief (or for those who prefer the Italian to the French, the basso-rilievo) on a converted garage of this 9th Street home is vernacular art at its finest. The panels reflect on the […]
