79½x82 inches, 202x208¼ cm. Condition B: losses, repaired tears, minor flaking, creases and abrasions in margins and image and along vertical and horizontal folds; water stains and toning in margins; mounted on old linen, with wooden dowels affixed at top and bottom for hanging. Four-sheets.
The Sutro Baths were the brainchild of former San Francisco Mayor and businessman Adolph Sutro. Built near his famous Cliff House, the baths occupied a stunning location overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The scope of the complex reads like a catalogue that would have made P.T. Barnum proud. The National Parks Service, which now owns the land that used to house the baths, describes the scene as follows: "A classic Greek portal opened to a massive glass enclosure containing seven swimming pools of various temperatures. There were slides, trapezes, springboards and a high dive. Together, the pools held 1.7 million gallons of water and could be filled in one hour by high tides. There were 20,000 bathing suits and 40,000 towels for rent. Balmy temperatures and abundant plants enhanced 'California's Tropical Winter Garden.' The Baths could accommodate 10,000 people at one time . . . An amphitheater, seating up to 3,700 people, provided a variety of stage shows. Three restaurants could accommodate 1,000 people at a sitting. There were natural-history exhibits, galleries of sculptures, paintings, tapestries and artifacts from Mexico, China, Asia, and the Middle East." The Bath's decline began in 1937 when part of the complex was turned into a skating rink. The building burned down in 1966 during demolition. This poster also exists with text which reads "On the Shore of the Pacific Ocean."
![DESIGNER UNKNOWN. [SUTRO BATHS]. 1896. 79½x82 inches, 202x208¼ cm.](https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/full//087\812087.jpg)
