Grand Entrances

Terry Hamburg'sGrand Entrances is an informative and compelling survey of attractive, artistic retail storefronts in San Francisco provides a closeup color portrait of some of the city's most colorful creations. Over eight color illustrations and photos capture everything from signage to murals and exceptional presentations. Art and architecture schools with sections on commercial art will find this a 'must'.

This book has heart and soul. The imagination and humor these storeowners and artists display is amazing! I especially appreciated the captions which tell the story of each storefront. The details are unexpected and funny. I also liked the Introduction which gives a great history of how San Francisco came to have so many "grand entrances." I know which book I will be giving to friends and family this holiday season!

Grand Entrances opens the door to the whimsy that is in the heart of San Francisco. The superb photographs capture the spirit of the artists, the shopkeepers who proudly display the creations, and the climate of the people who live in the area. This book rather reminded me of the children's book about the man who painted his house purple in a neighborhood where all the houses looked alike. However, in this case, everyone painted his or her storefront with wild imagination. Indeed, looking at the photos and reading the background about this era, I wondered if people at that time appreciated the beauty and creativity of the times. Personally, I savored the diversity of San Francisco. San Francisco encompasses all kinds of spirits, and this book captures that unique strength. Grand Entrances was fun!