Barry Wagner moved in to his home at 2809 9th Street in 1989. He soon got to know his back-fence neighbor, Martin Metal. He admired Metal’s German Shepherd Friend so much that he tracked down and acquired one of Friend’s half brothers Wolfie, Friend and Wolfie and Wagner and Metal became fast friends.
Friend, Wolfie, and Metal. Mid 1990s. Photo: Barry Wagner
Wagner and Metal built a gate between their backyards. He writes, “We shared our German Shepherds, countless meals and music, and our love of art, sculpture and the mechanics of building.” The gate remains today, connecting Wagner’s yard with the yard of Metal’s daughter Madeline.
And Wagner’s love of German Shepherds persists.
Rex
This is Rex, the best dog ever. He roams Wagner’s backyard, ignoring the chickens and rabbits running loose.
Wagner is an architect. He was born in San Francisco and graduated from Lowell High School. He got his degree in architecture at Cal and then worked in San Francisco, Sapporo, Japan, and New york before coming back to California in 1989. Here he developed the Home Design Workshop series at the Building Education Center and taught homebuilding and Craftsman Bungalow courses, He is a specialist in pocket door repair – great niche!
In his backyard are several buildings, including an office.
Cool looking. Great colors. And the office upstairs – very cool. Collar ties to tie for.
Wagner’s neighbor to the south was a big man named Tiny. Wagner now owns Tiny’s house and is rehabbing it.
With the house, Wagner got Tiny’s collection of tug boat lines. Amazing!
Not far from the tug boats lines – this huge buoy.
My main connection with Wagner centered around his friendship with Martin Metal and the Martin Metal pieces that he has, photos of which are in my Metal post. Wagner is in his own right of interest to Quirky Berkeley.
He so admired the work of Metal that he rescued this arch from Metal’s backyard – it is not a piece of art per se, but it is a piece of Metal’s work.
Wagner knows his neighbors, and among them quirk abounds. As we knocked on his door, Jana Olson and Roger Carr walked by on their way to their shop and gallery. I have posted on Olson.
In my pursuit of Martin Metal, Barry Wagner was a bonus.
My friend fixated on the buoy photo. “How????” That’s all he could say. What about this little glimpse of Wagner?
