Art Deco San Francisco:
The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger
Therese Poletti , Tom Paiva

"Perhaps the finest architect San Francisco has ever produced."—John King, San Francisco Chronicle

The Castro Theatre, the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Headquarters, 450 Sutter Medico-Dental Building—these masterpieces of San Francisco's Art Deco heritage are the work of one man: Timothy Pflueger. An immigrant's son with only a high-school education, Pflueger began practicing architecture after San Francisco's 1906 earthquake. While his contemporaries looked to Beaux-Arts traditions to rebuild the city, he brought exotic Mayan, Asian, and Egyptian forms to buildings ranging from simple cocktail lounges to the city's first skyscrapers. Pflueger was one of the city's most prolific architects during his 40-year career. He designed two major downtown skyscrapers, two stock exchanges, several neighborhood theaters, movie palaces for four smaller cities (including the beloved Paramount in Oakland), some of the city's biggest schools, and at least 50 homes. His works include the San Francisco Stock Exchange, the ever-popular Top of the Mark, the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, and the San Francisco World's Fair. It is a testament to his talent that many of his buildings still stand and many have been named landmarks.

Therese Poletti tells the fascinating story of Pflueger's life and work in Art Deco San Francisco. In lively detail, she relates how Pflueger built extravagant compositions in metal, concrete, and glass. She also tells the story behind the architecture: Pflueger's commissioning and support of muralist Diego Rivera, his association with photographer Ansel Adams and sculptor Ralph Stackpole, and his childhood friendship turned to adulthood sponsorship with San Francisco Mayor James "Sunny" Rolph Jr. Beautiful archival photography mixes with stunning new photography in this collection of a truly Californian, but ultimately American, story.


Therese Poletti has been a journalist for nearly twenty years. She has written for the San Jose Mercury News, and currently works for MarketWatch as a technology columnist. She lives in San Francisco.
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Editorial Reviews

Bay Area Chameleon, Traditional Building:
"Polettis project descriptions explain how Pflueger amalgamated and adapted design precedents: he could juxtapose Egyptian and Amazon fainforest scenery at a single eye-popping theater, or elongate Mayan motifs for a 26-story office shaft." — Eve M. Kahn

Architects 24:
"Therese Poletti tells the fascinating story of Pfluegers life and work in "Art Deco San Francisco". In lively detail, she relates how Pflueger built extravagant compositions in metal, concrete, and glass."

Architectural Record:
"Colorful new photographs by Tom Paiva bear witness to how much of Pfluegers best work has survived, while the text by Therese Poletti moves with brisk ease, whether, whether explaining a designs evolution or recounting how this native San Franciscan forged relationships with politicians and clients - giving them straight forward but ornamented buildings while striving to incorporate fresh styles..." (January, 2009)

Chicago Art Deco Society magazine:
"This book captures the evolution of San Francisco's architecture and especially that of the Art Deco era with wonderful vintage photographs, supplemented by those of Tom Paiva. Poletti provides an engaging look at Pflueger's personality and his remarkable rags-to-riches rise from an immigrant German family to an influential civic leader and taste-setter. This is definitely an American story." (Fall 2008/ Winter 2009 )

Author to discuss Alameda Theatre's renowned architect, Oakland Tribune:
"The book, Art Deco San Francisco: the Architecture of Timothy Pflueger, illustrated with archival and new photos by Tom Paiva, was published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2008.Poletti uses the book as the basis for her lecture she will give Sunday inside the restored Pflueger-designed Alameda Theatre.It was Pflueger's eclectic design of his first movie theater, the Castro Theatre, in 1922, complete with a Spanish Baroque faade and Roman amphitheater ceiling in the auditorium, which took his work into a new direction the design of some of the most memorable movie palaces on the West Coast between 1922 and 1932.Pflueger's movie theater designs evolved and became cleaner and more original after the Castro, and reached their pinnacle with Oakland's Paramount Theatre in 1931, an Art Deco masterpiece with its stunning faade, lobby and auditorium.Only a year after The Paramount opened, Pflueger's Alameda Theatre debuted. It was Alameda's first and only movie palace. It had 33,400 square feet, 2,200 seats, one of the largest movie screens in the Bay Area and a beautiful Art Deco design, complete with a decorative original mural, plaster figures painted in gold and silver leaf and light fixtures and a richly woven carpet with warm colors. Outside, it had a blade sign that soared 70 feet into the sky with Alameda in big capital letters and a floral pattern with vines decorating the faade. Built in 14 months at a cost of $500,000, the Alameda Theatre instantly became the dominant building in the Park Street Business District." — Keith Gleason (January 20, 2010)

San Francisco Museum and Historical Society Newsletter:
"Thank you Therese Poletti, for bringing forth an exquisitely designed, well researched and well written book on one of San Franciscos geniuses of design, Timothy Pflueger..." — Charles Fracchia (January-March, 2009)

Master Builder and Pitchman, Architects Newspaper:
"Who were Miller & Pflueger? What did the firms work mean in the context of 20th-century American architecture? What was the contribution of Miller & Pflueger... Therese Poletti, a journalist who writes for a general audience, provides an accessible introduction to the firm in her book Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger. With many historic images and new photographs by Tom Paiva." — Michael R. Corbett (April 22, 2009)

Book tells story of East Bay theater architect, Oakland Tribune:
""Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger," published by Princeton Architectural Press, a new acquisition at the Oakland Main Library History Room, delves into the unique, colorful and ultimately brief career of Pflueger and contains many full-color illustrations of his works, including the Paramount and Alameda theaters.The new biography was written by Therese Poletti. a local journalist who also leads walking tours for San Francisco City Guides.The author worked with Tom Pflueger, the late architect's nephew, who allowed her access to family and business firm archives and provided her with insights into the life and times of the son of humble German-born immigrants who arrived in San Francisco in the 1890s. The book paints a portrait of a young man who came of age in the aftermath of the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire that leveled much of San Francisco, and went on to design some of the most beautiful buildings erected in California during the 1920s and '30s." — Annalee Allen (February 14, 2009)

Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine:
"This book captures the evolution of San Franciscos architecture and especially that of the Art Deco era with wonderful vintage photographs, supplemented by those of Tom Paiva. Poletti provides an engaging look at Pfluegers personality and his remarkable rags-to-riches rise from an immigrant German family to an influential civic leader and taste-setter. This is definitely an American story." (Fall 2008/Winter 2009)

Pflueger: Genius Architect, Moderne Times - Sacramento Art Deco Society :
"One of the rare traits that Pflueger possessed was his desire and ability to work with artists. Most of his works benefit from the contributions of paintings, sculpters and muralists. Pflueger made sure that artwork was a feature and not an afterthought, in his buildings." — Bruce Woodward

Alley to be named for famed architect Pflueger, San Francisco Chronicle:
"Timothy Pflueger is the greatest architect in modern San Francisco history, said Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, in seconding the resolution brought by outgoing board President Aaron Peskin. To honor him is a wonderful thing to do. My only regret is I didn't think of it.For the record, the resolution was proposed by Therese Poletti. The author of this year's enjoyable monograph Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger, Poletti notes proudly that Pflueger is the first local architect to get his own alleyway. It's an honor reserved, until now, for such artistic characters as Jack Kerouac, William Saroyan and Isadora Duncan." — John King (December 30, 2008)

Midwest Book Review:
"Classic San Francisco buildings reflecting he art deco style are covered in an excellent collection of photos of masterpieces reflecting the work of one man: one Timothy Pflueger, an immigrants son who began his architectural practice after San Franciscos 1906 earthquake, and who proved one of the citys most prolific architects..." — James A. Cox (February, 2009)

Art Deco Expert, California Home and Design:
"With a career that emerged from the rubble of the 1906 earthquake, Timothy Pflueger shaped a new era of San Francisco architecture." — Kimberly Chua (January-February, 2009)

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