Masonic Center (San Francisco)
Encyclopedia
Nob Hill Masonic Center of San Francisco (also known as the Masonic Temple or Masonic Auditorium) is located at 1111 California Street
. It was formally dedicated in 1958.
It has a several large sculpture
s representing the four branches of the Armed Services on its outside wall. There is a frieze
representing a gigantic tug of war
between good and evil forces. Inside, it has a unique mosaic
window designed by artist Emile Norman
. The mosaic depicts a variety of natural themes as well as the professions. It contains gravel
and soil
from each of the 58 counties in California.
The Masonic Auditorium currently hosts many concerts and other live events and is managed by Live Nation
.
California Street (San Francisco)
California Street is a major thoroughfare in San Francisco, California. Fifty-four blocks of California Street, from Van Ness Avenue westward to 32nd Avenue, comprised the last major leg of the final 1928 alignment of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America, leading out to the highway's...
. It was formally dedicated in 1958.
It has a several large sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s representing the four branches of the Armed Services on its outside wall. There is a frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
representing a gigantic tug of war
Tug of war
Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...
between good and evil forces. Inside, it has a unique mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
window designed by artist Emile Norman
Emile Norman
-Life:Emile Norman grew up with a club foot on a San Gabriel Valley walnut farm. From an early age he exhibited artistic talent, carving his first sculpture from a riverside rock at age 11, – ruining his father's chisels, but also gaining his respect....
. The mosaic depicts a variety of natural themes as well as the professions. It contains gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
and soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
from each of the 58 counties in California.
The Masonic Auditorium currently hosts many concerts and other live events and is managed by Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
.