Twin Peaks Tunnel : Screening & Discussion | SF

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Please join the California Historical Society for a rare screening of the 1917 sponsored documentary Twin Peaks Tunnel featuring exceptional footage of the construction of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, the clearing of Sutro Forest, as well as development of the Westwood Park residential district.

Please RSVP to attend.

Rob Byrne will tell a brief history of the film and its preservation, the background of the Twin Peaks Tunnel project and the development of western San Francisco followed by a screening of the complete 19 minute Twin Peaks Tunnel (1917). Woody LaBounty from Western Neighborhoods Project will also discuss Westwood Park, the building of the tunnel, and show some additional footage not included in the Niles print.

History and Background

Shot during they years 1914-16 and sponsored by the Baldwin and Howell Real Estate Company of San Francisco, newspaper advertisements indicate that the film was first shown on October 13, 1917 in their Kearny Street storefront.

In 2009 an original 28mm print of the film was donated to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum.  Recognizing the historical value of this motion picture time capsule, film restorer and preservationist Rob Byrne and museum historian David Kiehn applied for and received a grant from the San Francisco based National Film Preservation Foundation to preserve and restore the film.

Presenters

Rob Byrne is president of the board of directors for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (silentfilm.org), a nonprofit organization promoting the artistic, cultural, and historic value of silent film.

Woody LaBounty is director of the Western Neighborhoods Project (outsidelands.org), a nonprofit focused on preserving and sharing the history of western San Francisco, which includes the Westwood Park neighborhood, prominently featured in the Twin Peaks Tunnel film.

This program is presented by the Western Neighborhoods Project, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the California Historical Society. 

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.