Large Blueprint Copy of “Proposed Highway Crossing – San Francisco to Sausalito”

A fascinating and expansive six-foot-wide 1950s copy on paper of a historically important and rare 1923 panoptic engineering blueprint titled “Proposed Highway Crossing – San Francisco to Sausalito” by John G. Little & Co. It depicts a pair of suggested solutions for bridging the world famous Golden Gate, the mile-wide strait where the San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific Ocean.

Both crisply rendered San Francisco-to-Sausalito proposed crossings are meticulously drafted in full at 1” = 400’ scale, with the one at top depicting a high-level bridge with three 1,100 ft. spans, and the one at bottom depicting a combination trestle-and-tube design that presciently evokes the similarly submerged Transbay Tube nearby that would open fifty years later. Little estimated their respective costs to be $14,000,000 and $11,000,000—or approximately $215,333,000 and $169,190,000 when adjusted for inflation.

As detailed in an aerial view map at upper right, the proposed connection points would’ve been approximately where Van Ness Avenue terminates at Aquatic Park in San Francisco, and where the Bridgeway Promenade adjoins Sausalito Point in Sausalito. Of additional interest on the map are detailed water depth notations, recorded by the U.S.S. Natoma in 1920 at city engineer M.M. O’Shaughnessy’s request to sound the Golden Gate Channel in preparation for bridge feasibility studies.

Title block at lower right reads in full:

“Proposed Highway Crossing San Francisco to Sausalito John G. Little & Co. Civil Engineers 251 Kearny St. San Francisco, Calif. Ralph E. Dodge, Consulting Engineer June 11, 1923”

Of particular note is the final image showing a brief contemporaneous article that appeared in the July 5, 1923, issue of “Engineering News-Record” (Vol. 91, No. 1, p. 34). It recounts a meeting at San Francisco City Hall that was convened to discuss the still nascent—yet rapidly progressing in both planning and public support—endeavor to bridge the Golden Gate. Both of Little’s proposals shown in this blueprint are described, as is the eventual winning proposal by J.B. Strauss.

John G. Little (b. 1880–1955) was a World War I vet who rose to the rank of U.S. Army major, and who established himself after the war as a well respected civil engineer with a long career in the Bay Area. That then-Captain Little’s proposals were under serious consideration for such a monumental undertaking is an incredible testament his talents. He’s laid to rest in San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio, mere steps away from where Strauss’ Golden Gate Bridge begins its iconic Art Deco arc toward Marin.

We believe this to be a 1950s direct copy of the original 1923 blueprint, and extensive online research was unable to uncover any other pictorial examples of either the original blueprint or similar copies of it. In our view, that makes this very scarce item illustrating a much lesser known aspect of the story behind how one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century came into creation an important historical document in its own right, especially to individuals, museums, or educational institutions with ties to the Bay Area.

Dimensions
Height: 12.38 in.
Width: 72.5 in.
Depth: .13 in.

Condition good.
Repaired: A few small instances of discreetly applied clear tape to edges (mostly on back side), done at some time in the past to shore up minor paper instabilities. Most issues would be hidden by framing. Additional photos can be provided upon request. Wear consistent with age and use. In very fine condition when graded using typical standards for printed works. Has been stored rolled with no sign of folds or creases. Mostly very minor edge wear including some tiny holes/tears, with a bit more moderate wear to bottom right edge.