About The Sausalito Historical Society
The Sausalito Historical Society collects and preserves art, artifacts, photographs and printed materials that document Sausalito’s history; provides access to the collection for public and academic research; and develops publications and outreach programs to inspire local interest in Sausalito’s history to educate the visiting public and enrich the community.
The Sausalito Historical Society is looking for your Sausalito photos of bygone days. We would like to preserve and add to our online collection memories of the past. Please contact the Historical Society if you would like to share you photos.
Bigger, Better Moments in Time
The Historical Society is proud to announce the publication of a colorful, updated edition of the seminal Sausalito history book Moments in Time.
The book was edited, researched and designed by Wayne Bonnett, who worked with SHS founder Jack Tracy on the original edition, published in 1983.
In a recent oral history, Wayne recalled how he and his wife Linda collaborated with Jack shortly after Wayne joined the Sausalito City Council:
“After I was elected he called me one day and said he wanted to do a book. He knew that I was a book designer and that because I was on the council, I might have a little pull for him. So, I met with him and my wife, who was a book art editor for several major publishers at the time. He said the three of us could make a good team. And Jack, as you probably know, was excellent at gathering material.
“He had been working on this project for some time when we got together. But he wasn’t a polished writer at all. So, he gathered the material and Linda kept everything going with the project. And I organized Jack’s notes. He would record by voice. And if you knew Jack, you knew that he tended to drift off the subject, to say the least. And it was all very fascinating, but it had to be assembled.”
That oral history can be heard here.
Wayne and Linda published the book through their firm, Windgate Press, and it has served as a key reference for Sausalito history buffs through five decades. When the second printing sold out a few years ago, the SHS encouraged Wayne to create a new edition, to be released in this, the Society’s 50th anniversary year.
For the new edition, Wayne has added updated material and color illustrations.
Although many historic black and white photos remain, there will be color on every page plus a lot of new photographs by Wayne and friends. They “took photos that haven’t been seen,” he says. In the text, Wayne identifies six major pivot points that “irrevocably changed the path of Sausalito” and examines them in that context
By Larry Clinton
Sausalito Historical Society
3 Exhibit Spaces Feature Historical Displays our History
Phil Frank Exhibit
Exhibit Spaces maintained by the Society feature in depth displays about Sausalito history and include:
The Phil Frank History Research Room
The Downtown Ice House Historical Exhibit
The Historic World War II Marinship Exhibit at the Bay Model.
See below for hours for each location
SHS Board of Directors:
Stanford Hughes, President
Michael Wiener, Vice President
Sharon Seymour, Secretary
Peter Bowes, Treasurer
Adrian Brinton
John Cox
Lauri Flynn
Liz Hoffmire
Rip Hunter
Alice Merrill
Brit Thurston
We are always looking for people who want to be involved with the History of Sausalito and its residents new and old. If you would like to join us, please contact us at the addresses below.
How to Reach the Sausalito Historical Society:
We’re happy to announce that the Sausalito Historical Society Exhibit and Research Room will re-open on Monday, August 2 to the public. Our hours will be Monday, 10-5 and Wednesday 10-1. A docent will be available to help you with your research request. City Hall is asking everyone to wear a mask in the building. For now, we will not be open on Saturday mornings as in the past because City Hall is not open on Saturday yet, so will be open on Mondays instead.
Sausalito City Hall
Sausalito Historical Society
The Phil Frank History Research Room
420 Litho Street, Sausalito, CA, 94965
-Mondays from 10 am -1 pm
-Wednesdays from 10 am -1 pm
-2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month 12-3 pm
P.O. Box 352, Sausalito, CA 94966
415 289-4117
Sausalito Ice House Visitors Center & Museum
Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
780 Bridgeway, Sausalito CA 94965
The Historic World War II Marinship Exhibit at the Bay Model
Open when the Bay Model is open
https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Bay-Model-Visitor-Center/
Search this Web Site for Information about Sausalito's History:
Additional information about specific Sausalito Historical Society’s Digitized Collections are available in the Museum Online Catalog
The California Digital Newspaper Collection contains over 500,000 digitited issues of California newspapers and is an excellent resource for more information about the history of Southern Marin County and Sausalito.
The Sausalito Historical Society is a 501(c)3 organization Tax ID # 94-277123