Long-lost Sutro Baths photos pulled from depths of Chronicle archive

A man, perhaps Adolph Sutro III himself, overlooks activities at Sutro Baths in January 1952. A man, perhaps Adolph Sutro III himself, overlooks activities at Sutro Baths in January 1952. Photo: Joe Rosenthal, The Chronicle Photo: Joe Rosenthal, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close Long-lost Sutro Baths photos pulled from depths of Chronicle archive 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

Few topics elicit more curiosity and waves of nostalgia than San Francisco’s lost landmarks, and few of these landmarks remain as engrained in locals’ memories as Sutro Baths, the huge saltwater swimming pool complex that once stood at Lands End.

Now, after a recent archive archaeological mission, we’re publishing glimpses of Sutro Baths from the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s and ’80s, many of which haven’t been seen in decades.

First, a bit of history.

The giant glass-covered building with seven large heated pools was built by Adolph Sutro and formally opened in March 1896 at nearly 500 feet long. Around 1937, two of the pools were closed to make way for volleyball and basketball courts, and half of one of the larger pools was converted to an ice rink.

A look-back article in The Chronicle in 1993 quotes Sutro as having been proud of his efforts. “‘There were great baths in ancient Rome,’ he declared, but ‘I think I may honestly say that our baths here need fear no comparison.’” He expressed his hope that the baths would provide “health-giving amusement” that would equip people for “the struggles of life.”

The recent archive search turned up photos published Aug. 8, 1953, that captured a “Fun for a Day” event. Nearly 70 children and 16 teenage leaders from the Westminster Community Center and Cameron House spent the morning in the pools, then lined up for hot dogs, orange soda, cookies, ice cream and candy bars, which wouldn’t even pass for a healthful lunch in the early 1950s.

“We polled the kids,” Sutro Baths manager Bob Bratton was quoted as saying, “and that’s what they wanted. ... We gave them sandwiches at first, but they wanted what they couldn’t get at home.”

After lunch, Chronicle reporter Bob Hughes wrote, the kids and teenagers put on skates and spent a “down-again, up-again afternoon” on the ice rink.

The previous year, Adolph Sutro III had nearly shut down the facility, with plans to demolish the building for scrap. George Whitney, the owner of the neighboring tourist attractions — Playland and the Cliff House — saved the day by buying the gigantic building and several adjacent acres of land. Whitney kept his promise that the five pools and ice rink would stay open and the gaudy building would be modernized.

A grand reopening was held in March 1953 to much fanfare, but five years later Whitney died at age 67. His wife and remaining family members began to sell off portions of the land around Sutro Baths soon after.

The landmark’s grand finale was the devastating fire of June 26, 1966. The old amusement palace that survived the 1906 and 1957 earthquakes without the loss of a single pane of glass sustained damages beyond repair.

Now, of course, visitors are lucky enough to see the remains of Sutro Baths instead of apartments or a condominium tower on the site. In the years before and after the fire, plans were pushed to develop the area. In May 1980, after prolonged negotiations, the site was acquired by the U.S. National Park Service, and it became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

“I think people like the atmosphere of this place,” John Martini, a former park ranger and an expert on Sutro Baths, told Chronicle columnist Carl Nolte on a windy afternoon in 2014. “It’s edgy and a bit dangerous, and people like that.”

Martini added that when the park service held hearings about what to do with the site, the winds of change were not swirling around Lands End: “People were saying, ‘Don’t ruin the ruins.”