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Male, born 02/23/1865, died 11/25/1953

Associated with the firm network

Porter, Bruce, Designer


Professional History

Member, Les Jeunes, (arts club), San Francisco, CA. Secretary, San Francisco Guild of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco, CA. Paintings by Porter were displayed at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition of 1915.

Education

Porter left school at age 14; he was a self-taught designer, poet, stained-glass artist, metalworker, painter, and social critic. He gained local fame as the co-editor (with Gelett Burgess) of "The Lark," an influential literary journal in San Francisco between 1895-1897.

Personal

Porter was born, lived and died in San Francisco, CA. He passed away at the age of 88.

His father edited a local newspaper in Martinez, CA, north of San Francisco, who also became a state legislator from Marin and Contra Costa Counties. His mother's name was Williamson.

Bruce Porter married Margaret Mary James, daughter of the pioneering psychologist of William James, in 1917.

Porter did mural work, designed gardens, and executed a number of stained-glass windows in churches in San Francisco, Stockton, San Mateo, Coronado, and at Pacific Grove near Monterey, CA. He also designed some of the details at Charles Fletcher Lummis's House, El Alisal, in Los Angeles. According to landscape architectural historian, David Streatfield, Porter designed at least six gardens for wealthy clients in the Bay Area. These included the William H. Crocker House, Henry Potter Russell House, Charles P. Blaney House and a few others. He also designed the courtyard garden of the Swedenborgian Church, San Francisco, CA. (Services for Porter after his death were fittingly held at this church.) His diverse artistic talents were also used to produce centerpieces for lavish society parties. (Conversation with Prof. David Streatfield, Seattle, 01/21/2011.)



Associated Locations

  • San Francisco, CA (Architect's Birth)
    San Francisco, CA

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  • San Francisco, CA (Architect's Birth)
    San Francisco, CA

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PCAD id: 463