Introduction to Roll A

 

Circa November 1960.

 

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It appears to have been a dreary November in San Francisco in 1960. This roll begins with a man wearing a Kennedy for President hat. Shortly later we see 2 frames of Nixon for President Headquarters (above Gallenkamps). A movie marquee seems to announce "Kennedy W(ins)". There are at least program changes at the Pix Theatre suggesting that this roll was photographed over at a period of least a week, but perhaps less than two weeks. The dressed up women of 1950s San Francisco wearing their furs and white gloves are gone. Downtown dress is much more casual.

Although the sun peeks out from time to time, Selle's exposures are mostly gray and muddy. Occasionally, the camera seems to be looking into the fog - at least heavy overcast. This roll is Ansco Supreme "8" Safety film - beginning with ticket number 6,500 and ending at number 7,969. After every 100th ticket number, Selle 'wastes' a frame - leaving an unnumbered black frame 14 times (only once does he leave 2 black frames). Most of these "benchmarks" do not appear to be where he stopped or started a day's shooting. Even using the changes in the Pix programs, it's hard to tell where one day's shooting stops and the next day's begins.

Selle's wanderings are very constrained. Outside his office on Market - often with Pix Theatre marquee in the background, the Corner of Powell & Eddy, Woolworth's in the Flood Building - he doesn't even get over to Union Square.



A Roll Black Frames (change of location and/or day? - approx every 100 frames):

101st frame (same location - Flood Building)
100 frames later (same location - Market Street)
100 frames later (same location - Woolworth's/Flood Building)
100 frames later (same location - Flood Building)
100 frames later (same location - Woolworth's/Flood Building)
100 frames later (location change - from Pix to Hales/Woolworths)
100 frames later (same location - Flood Building)
100 frames later (same location - Flood Building)
100 frames later (location change - from Woolworth's to Pix)
100 frames later (location change - from Pix to Woolworth's)
100 frames later (same location - Flood Building)
100 frames later (same location - Flood Building)
100 frames later (location change - from Woolworth's to 942 Market)
100 frames later (same location - 942, 964 Market)



Clocks in Roll A


Day 1 - 12:32 pm, 47 frames later 12:45 pm, 14 frames later 2:15 pm, 7 frames later 2:20 pm

Day 2 - 12:20 pm (or 4:00 pm?), 39 frames later 2:26 pm, 22 frames later - after 3:00 pm, 20 frames later - 3:00 pm

Day 3 - 12:00 pm, 152 frames later - 12:15 pm

Day 4 - 2:20 pm, white hand on BOA clock, 2:45 pm

Kennedy for President Hat 1; 2

Nixon for President Headquarters 1; 2

Pix Theatre The Hanging Tree, Man in the Shadow, 13 Fighting Men; 2; 3
Pix Theatre Hot Car Girl; Criss Cross; Wild River; 2; also Magnificent Seven ;3; 4; 5
Pix Theatre Appointment with Shadow; The Ride Back (still Magnificent Seven next door); 2
Pix Theatre ...oy Floyd; Badlands of Montana; Hong Kong Confidential (continuing: Magnificent Seven); 2
Pix Theatre Warlock; Guns, Girls, and Gangsters; Counterplot; 2 with Samson & Delilah - The Big Fisherman (beyond)
Unidentified Theatre John Wayne - Sea Chase; The King and 4 Queens


Unidentified Theatre Karamoja "Kennedy W" "Uncensored Stone Age.." "That's Bully"


Unidentified Theatre (Crest Theatre in background) Lust to Kill; 2


United Artists Spencer Tracy in "Inherit the Wind" - second big week; 2


Paramount Elvis Presley ...


Christmas Decorations Next door to Flood Building; 2


Cable Car Turnaround 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6


Andrew Eskind: Research in progress. April 2004



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