3.17.2012
I've had some family from out of the country staying with me the last week. We've had fun exploring the city and surrounding areas. Of course we had to do the touristy things here in SF, but one thing I recommend everybody checking out is the Mechanical Museum. It's located in Fisherman's Wharf but totally worth dealing with all the tourist shops. It's an amazing collection of rare vintage arcades that you can actually play. I took a few pictures...
America's past time...
Love the hand painted sign on this one!
Real vintage graphics, you can't beat the authentic. Look at the wear on that knob!
Can't say enough about the hand painted typography and color palettes on these pieces.
This arcade featured 2 mechanical boxers that could knock down an opponent by correctly hitting a metal pin below the chin. My cousin & I spent 5 minutes feverishly taking jabs at each other. Right when I was going to give up, I found the sweet spot! The amount of mechanical engineering to pull this set up off is amazing.
One of the last games I played before running out money. An old golfing game. I mean look at his sweater! So great! People sometimes ask me what inspires my work...this inspires my work. I love these vintage arcades with their low technology and hand painted signage. The decay and history about them. Its all very inspirational for me. I can spend days here and not be bored. It definitely has me thinking about a similar project that I've been meaning to move forward on.
