THE BIG FOUR

 


The Big Four - Collis Huntington, Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins - are considered the fathers of the transcontinental railroad system and much of what modern California is today. They worked together in the mid to late 1800s and amassed great personal fortunes. Our sculptural painting was installed in the historic Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute. For the opening, Collective collaborators Frank X Mur and Siegfried presented a detailed lecture on 19th century Russian landscape painting. After the lecture, we hosted a dinner at The Big Four Restaurant just up the hill in the Huntington Hotel. The guests of honor were Frank X and Siegfried and our intern, James Glass. The first three people from the opening audience to show up at the restaurant - Leonie Guyer, Susan Martin and Alma Chaney - had their meal and drinks paid for. Siegfried is a very accomplished and enthusiastic ballroom dancer.