Thursday, September 3, 2015

Little Boxes: The Legacy of Henry Doelger

The Art, Music and Recreation Center of the San Francisco Public Library is pleased to present the documentary film screening of Little Boxes: The Legacy of Henry Doelger by local filmmaker Rob Keil.

When: Saturday, September 5, 2015
            2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Where: Main Library, Latino Hispanic Community Meeting Room
             100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102



This film is a fascinating architectural and historical journey through the Westlake District of Daly City, California, one of America’s first and most iconic postwar suburbs. Located just south of San Francisco, Westlake has long been the subject of adoration as well as ridicule. Perhaps Westlake’s greatest claim to fame is that it inspired Malvina Reynolds’ 1962 anti- suburban folk song, “Little Boxes.”

The neighborhood’s quirky architecture has been featured in numerous books, newspapers, national magazines and commercials. But this is the first documentary film exclusively about Henry Doelger and his signature community. Little Boxes not only documents Doelger’s place in history, but it uncovers Westlake’s amazing development process and celebrates its classic midcentury style.

The screening will be followed by a short Q & A with the filmmaker.  Rob Keil is a San Francisco-based art director, designer and filmmaker who has lived in and around Westlake his entire life.

Selected resources at the library:

To research your San Francisco Building use this guide created by the San Francisco History Center:
How to Research a San Francisco Building 

The San Francisco History Center also has a small clipping file on Henry Doelger in their San Francisco Biography Collection.

The San Francisco Chronicle Historical database has hundreds of articles that list home sales, editorials and full length articles about Henry Doelger.



Little Boxes: The Legacy of Henry Doelger - DVD / directed and produced by Rob Keil

Little Boxes: The Architecture of a Classic Midcentury Suberb / by Rob Keil

Westlake by Bunny Gillespie







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