I left my heart in San Francisco...

History is at the center of our work at Compass Rose Design. Lately, we've had trains on the brain and have been making lots of men's accessories with Railroad date nails and antique uniform buttons dating between 1880 and 1950. A few finds relating to San Francisco railroad history have been a delight!

We've recently come across several antiques that have local historical significance. Notice the PPIE 1915 buttons in the above photo. These buttons commemorate the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exhibition - the Worlds Fair. Though the exhibition celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal, the event was perhaps more about showcasing San Francisco's recovery from the 1906 earthquake.

This poster advertised the momentous event, which drew millions of visitors to San Francisco's Marina district - the Palace of Fine Arts buildings still remain, near the Exploratorium site.

Since the original buildings were made of plaster, wood and burlap for quick construction, the Palace of Fine Arts was reconstructed in the 1960s with more durable construction materials.

This SF Municipal Railway button was an incredible find! Transportation service started as early as 1860 in San Francisco with horse drawn omnibus on Howard and Third Streets in San Francisco. Other small companies were also started on Sutter Street, the Mission and North Beach, seen below.  (Photo source: San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, AAC-8187) 

 

By 1876, it was clear that the hilly terrain in San Francisco made horse-car travel difficult and unprofitable. Thus began the conversion to cable cars. In 1902, the United Railways of San Francisco took over service and by 1909, SF Municipal Railway, known as SF Muni, was founded.

We love San Francisco - and we love how much people love the places they are from. Holding these historical moments in our hands, wearing these genuine antique treasures, connects us with lives and stories of the people who came before us.  Check our Railroad collection to see if we have buttons from your town or state.

We also had a GREAT time at our local Fairfax Festival this weekend - thanks to everyone who came to visit!

 

The Railroad collection continues to be a big hit. We're happy to see more clever gents wearing awesome accessories - unique pieces with real history and sophistication.

Check our Summer Events Calendar for upcoming California shows!

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