San Francisco Mechanics' Institute
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Mechanics' Institute is a historic membership library, cultural event center, and chess club housed at 57 Post Street,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. It was founded in 1854 as a
mechanics' institute Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult edu ...
, an educational and cultural institution to serve the vocational needs of out-of-work gold miners. Today the Institute serves readers, writers, downtown employees, students, film lovers, chess players, and others in search of learning and a community for the exchange of ideas.


History

In 1848, the discovery of gold lured people from all over the world to California. By 1853 most surface gold was mined out, pushing the town of San Francisco into economic decline. A flood of former miners suddenly had no employment and no skills nor prospects. Mechanics' Institute began in 1854 with four books, a chess and games room, and a mission to become a vocational and cultural center. At this time, California had no colleges or universities and no public libraries. (The
San Francisco Public Library The San Francisco Public Library is the public library system of the city and county of San Francisco in United States. The Main Library is located at Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street. The library system has won several awards, such as ''Libr ...
did not open until 1879.) By March 1857, Mechanics' Institute of San Francisco elected the following officers to lead the growing institute: President John Sime, Vice President Gardner Elliot, Secretary H. F. Williams, and Treasurer J. E. Kinkade. Within a few years, Mechanics' Institute was offering classes in such subjects as woodworking, mechanical drawing, industrial design, electrical science, applied mathematics, and ironwork. The Institute's importance in technical education in California reached a pinnacle in 1868 when the California legislature granted a charter to the
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...
to establish itself as a university. The Institute participated in the fledgling university's first years, hosting technical classes and presenting lectures on many topics. Members of Mechanics' Institute helped develop the university curriculum and have held a seat on the Board of Regents continuously until 1974. Aside from educational endeavors, the Institute also promoted industry in the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning in 1857, on land donated by the land baron James Lick, the Institute hosted famous industrial fairs that displayed inventions, art, and products of all kinds to thousands of visitors. Awards were presented to winning exhibitors —many of whom are still in business today, including
Levi Strauss Levi Strauss ( ; born Löb Strauß, ; February 26, 1829 – September 26, 1902) was a German-born American businessman who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans. His firm of Levi Strauss & Co. (Levi's) began in 1853 in San Franci ...
, Singer Sewing Machines,
Goodyear Tire The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturer headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for passenger vehicles, aviation, commercial trucks, military and police vehicles, motorcycles, recreati ...
, Boudin Bakery, Heald Business College,
Gump's Gump's is a luxury American home furnishings and home décor retailer, founded in 1861 in San Francisco, California. The company was acquired by the Chachas family in June 2019 and announced that it would be opening a San Francisco location for ...
, and Ghirardelli Chocolate. Mechanics' Institute purchased a building site at 36 Post Street, between Montgomery and Kearny, in 1866 where the Institute erected a three-story building designed by William Patton. The building featured retail space on the ground floor, a library with open stacks, a lecture hall for about six hundred people, a chess room, a furnished ladies' sitting room, and other rooms for rental by committees, lodges, and related scientific organizations. President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
gave an address at the Institute on 13 May 1903. In April 1906, as with much of the surrounding community, the Institute and its collections were destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake and fire. By 1910 a new building, designed by Albert Pissis, was built at 57 Post St. where today it remains a landmark of San Francisco architecture and home to all of Mechanics' Institute's activities and programs.


Locations

* 1855-1866, Mechanics' Institute Library #1, two rooms on the 4th floor of the Express Building, 402 Montgomery Street at California * 1857, Mechanics' Institute Fair Building, Montgomery Street between Post and Sutter * 1874-1881, The Mechanics Institute Pavilion #1, Market Street and 8th Street * 1881-1906, The Mechanics Institute Pavilion #2, Larkin Street and Hayes Street * 1866–1906, Mechanics' Institute building, 31 Post Street, between Montgomery and Kearny * 1906–1910, Mechanics' Institute temporary building, Grove, Hayes, Larkin, and Polk Streets * 1910- , Mechanics' Institute Library #2, 57 Post Street, between Montgomery and Kearny, constructed 1909-1910


Library

Initially a library dedicated to the mechanical arts, the Institute merged with the Mercantile Library Association and dropped its technical focus in 1906. Its current collection of over 160,000 items, housed in an historic marble and wrought iron two-story library, covers all subjects, with special strengths in literature, arts, history, philosophy, business, finance, and hard-to-find periodicals. Two focal areas of the collection are its chess books and local San Francisco history. Mechanics' Institute also has substantial digital resources, such as audio-books, e-books, and a music collection as well as access to online databases of film libraries, genealogical searches, financial databases, and more.


Events

The Mechanics' Institute events department presents over fifty author events a year covering a broad spectrum of authors and themes, including fiction and non-fiction, with topics on American and world history, civic engagement, arts and architecture, biography, science and technology, social trends, economy, and culinary arts. Special Programs, such as the San Francisco Noir Literary Night, World Poetry Reading,
Bloomsday Bloomsday is a commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce, observed annually in Dublin and elsewhere on 16 June. The day is named after Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of Joyce's 1922 novel ''Ulysses (novel), Ulysses' ...
, and a
Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...
celebration are popular annual events. The CinemaLit Film Series presents 35 films a year, featuring classic American, retrospective, and foreign films. The evening begins with introductions by prominent film critics, writers, reviewers, and the film series curator, who also leads discussions after each film. CinemaLit draws a diverse audience of dedicated film buffs and newcomers to this Friday night film salon. The free or low-cost author events, Special Programs, and CinemaLit of the Institute are open to all members and the public. Free attendance at most events and CinemaLit is just one of the benefits of membership.


Chess

The Mechanics' Institute building houses the oldest continuously operating
chess club A chess club is a club formed for the purpose of playing the board game of chess. Chess clubs often provide for both informal and tournament games and sometimes offer league play. Traditionally clubs play over the board and face to face chess a ...
in the United States, the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club. Many world champions have visited the chess room, from
Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker (; December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher. He was the second World Chess Champion, holding the title for 27 years, from 1894 to 1921, the longest reign of any officially ...
in 1902 to
Boris Spassky Boris Vasilyevich Spassky (; January 30, 1937 – February 27, 2025) was a Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. Spassky played three world championship matches: he lost to Tigra ...
in 2006. In 2009 one of the chess club's young students, 12-year-old
Daniel Naroditsky Daniel Naroditsky (born November 9, 1995), often referred to as Danya, is an American chess grandmaster, author, and commentator. Chess career Born in San Mateo, California, Naroditsky learned chess at age six from his father. He was soon taki ...
, won the
World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
for his age group. The chess club offers tournaments, classes, gatherings, and other activities for all player levels.


Membership

Membership at the Mechanics' Institute is open to the public, and includes use of the library, access to digital and other collections and resources, the chess room, and free or discounted admission to special events, lectures, films, book discussion groups, classes, and other social activities.


See also

* A. W. Piper, Seattle confectioner and politician, trained at the Mechanics' Institute in 1857 *
List of San Francisco Designated Landmarks This is a list of San Francisco Designated Landmarks. In 1967, the city of San Francisco, California, adopted Article 10 of the Planning Code, providing the city with the authority to designate and protect landmarks from inappropriate alteration ...


Conference and Membership Library Affiliates

In November 2016, the institute hosted ''Reinvention: Thriving in the 21st Century - Mechanics' Worldwide'', the fourth in a series of international conferences for "independent and
subscription libraries A subscription library (also membership library or independent library) is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments. Unlike a public library, access is often restricted to members, but access rights ca ...
, mechanics' institutes, athenaeums, societies, literary institutes, lyceums, mercantile libraries, schools of arts and working men's institutes".


References


Further reading

* J. Cumming
Theory made practice: the story of the undertaking and development of the Mechanics’ Institute of San Francisco
Sunset Magazine ''Sunset'' is a lifestyle magazine in the United States. ''Sunset'' focuses on homes, cooking, gardening, and travel, with a focus almost exclusively on the Western United States. The magazine is published six times per year by the Sunset Publis ...
19:1 (May 1907) 43–50. *
The Mechanics’ Institute Library, Commission and Construction: 1906-1912
—— Chris VerPlanck
Mechanics' Institute
— ''Legacy Business Registry'' Staff Report — San_Francisco§Government


External links

* {{Authority control Chess clubs in the United States Clubs and societies in California Libraries in San Francisco
Mechanics' Institute Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult edu ...
1854 establishments in California
Mechanics Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among Physical object, physical objects. Forces applied to objects may result in Displacement (vector), displacements, which are changes of ...
San Francisco Designated Landmarks Adult education in the United States