From second story rooftops in 1858, to the 115-foot “birds’ nest” atop the dome of the Santa Clara County Court House in 1869, to the 207-foot platform near the top of the San José Electric Light Tower in 1881, artists and photographers, lugging sketch pads, tripods and glass plate negatives, climbed higher and higher to capture iconic panoramic vistas. In the October 2018 Sourisseau Academy photo album retired Anthropology Professor Tom Layton journeys into the sky to the imaginary heights from which artists have transformed the Silicon Valley into a fantastical realm where San José’s Hotel De Anza can easily loom larger than all of San Francisco.
The October 2018 Sourisseau Academy news video [titled “Horse Power!” this month] explores the era of the horse and buggy, and the sweet aroma of fruit trees by the side of the road.