"Emperor Norton Bridge" in 2022? On the 150th Anniversary of Norton's "Bay Bridge Proclamations`"
Channel: Mechanics' Institute
Date: 2022-03-25

In 1872, Emperor Norton issued three newspaper Proclamations setting out the vision for what opened in 1936 as the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. Since the time of that opening, there have been Bay Area residents and Californians in every generation who have urged that the California state government bodies with the authority to name state-owned bridges like the Bay Bridge find a way to honor the Emperor by adding his name to the bridge that he called for.

Leading this effort in recent years has been The Emperor Norton Trust, a nonprofit that since 2013 has worked on a variety of fronts — research, education, advocacy — to advance the legacy of the Emperor.

On the eve of the 150th anniversary of Emperor Norton's second "bridge Proclamation," published on March 23, 1872, Emperor Norton Trust founder John Lumea will discuss a number of overlapping histories that take in the Emperor's three "bridge Proclamations"; the 20th- and 21st-century commemorative efforts arising from these Proclamations; and the state of California's approach to honorary bridge namings.
 
John Lumea is founder of The Emperor Norton Trust. As a writer and activist, John's interests have focused on issues in history, urban design, public space, architectural preservation, culture and politics. His work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, Mother Jones, KALW, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and more. To learn more about the Trust's efforts in support of an "Emperor Norton Bridge" naming, see EmperorNortonBridge.org.