A Pflueger masterpiece

The newly restored Alameda Theater

We journeyed across a couple of bridges last night — all the way to Alameda — to hear a talk by Therese Poletti, who’s just published a beautiful book on the great San Francisco architect Timothy Pflueger called Art Deco San Francisco.

We know Pflueger primarily for his Deco towers in San Francisco — the Pacific Bell building, which was the city’s first high-rise; the Stock Exchange building, with its stunning silver-ceilinged club up top; the Mayan medical building at 450 Sutter — plus the Castro and Paramount Theaters and on and on.

Among his most magnificent works is the little-known Alameda Theater, which recently has been restored to its full glory, with nearly all of its original fixtures and details still in place and fully polished. It’s definitely worth a visit.