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April 9, 2016 by tomdalzell

Rainbows

 

the-wizard-of-oz-1

My A Form (6th Grade) teacher Mr. Davenport used the phrase “intuitively obvious to the most casual observer” a lot, and not in a kind way.

Tom Dalzell at bottom right.  Not quirky! At all!

Tom Dalzell at bottom right. Not quirky! At all!

He also used the expression “literal-minded Igorot,” also not in a kind way.  Igorot is the collective name of several highland ethnic groups in the mountains of Luzon region of the Philippines.  I have no idea why an Igorot would be literal-minded.

I do know, however, that the choice for song-to-go-with-post is intuitively obvious.  See above.

Rainbows and unicorns!  We don’t have many unicorns – as in, I have yet to see a unicorn depicted in a public space in Berkeley – but we’ve got rainbows.

Camp Winnarainbow

Photo: Camp Winnarainbow Facebok page

Photo: Camp Winnarainbow Facebok page

Wavy Gravy’s Camp Winnarainbow, which is based but not sited here, is probably our most famous rainbow.

Runner-up for Best Berkeley Rainbow-Used-In-Name, is on San Pablo just south of University:

Rainbow-1

2025 San Pablo

Another rainbow business is the lovely little fairytale building on MLK:

2080 MLK Way

2080 MLK Way

In 1985 we had Rainbow Village. Paul Fusco, whose photos of the Robert Kennedy funeral train are seared in my memory, made these photos:

USA. Berkeley, California. 1986. Rainbow Village. © Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos

© Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos

USA. Berkeley, California. 1986. Rainbow Village. © Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos

© Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos

USA. Berkeley, California. 1986. Rainbow Village. © Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos

© Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos

It was an encampment of cars, vans, and buses near the Marina where people who were otherwise homeless lived.  Cheerful name or not, Rainbow Village was a rough place when the City shut it down in 1986. Fusco captured the rough side, didn’t he?

What, you ask, is our biggest rainbow?

Amoeba-1

Amoeba-1990-BPL-Postcard

That would be Amoeba Records, Telegraph at Haste.  While on Telegraph, or just around the corner from Telegraph:

Earth Bizarre Ted Friednamn

Photo: Ted Freidman

This is from the short-lived Earth Bizarre.

Continuing with institutions, here is a church rainbow:

1744 University

1744 University

A garage rainbow:

1346 San Pablo

1346 San Pablo

We paint rainbows on our homes.  In this first one, a Stefen mural, we even get the pot of gold at the end of the faded rainbow.

1110 Chaucer

1110 Chaucer

There is a second pot of gold.

Pot-of-Gold

1140 Bancroft

No rainbow, but the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow at Olivia Hunter’s pink and purple trimmed house on Bancroft.

Driving up and down Cedar you have seen this house:

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

1717 Cedar

As long as I remember, 1717 Cedar has given us rainbows – although I had not noticed the chimney until recently.  With the magic of Google Maps, I can see that it was added sometime between 2008 and 2011.  So much for my powers of observation.

3090 King Street

3090 King Street

3090 King Street

3090 King Street

It is intuitive obvious that schools and playgrounds would like rainbows. The new mural at the Oxford School features a rainbow visible from the Short Cut path between Oxford and Walnut:

Quirky Berkeley 02-15-16

At Thousands Oak, there is a mention of rainbow although not an actual rainbow image:

Thousand-Oaks-3

 

For another rainbow image, there is the mural at Totland.

Totland, Virginia and McGee

Totland, Virginia and McGee

As does the Mural at the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Center.

1730 Oregon

1730 Oregon

And a mural on the restrooms at People’s Park:

IMG_5749

 

Lastly, we have our rainbows on accessories – mail boxes, planters, fences, chairs, bike stands.  And so on.

3016 Bateman

3016 Bateman

Berkeley Public Library, North Branch

Berkeley Public Library, North Branch

1337 Henry (perhaps o longer parked there)

1337 Henry (perhaps no longer parked there)

Philz Coffee, 1313 9th

Philz Coffee, 1313 9th

Trevlin at Watkins

Trevlin at Watkins. Photo: Colleen Neff

740 Keeler

740 Keeler

1693 Edith

1693 Edith

1648 Cedar. Photo: Jay Claiborne

1648 Cedar. Photo: Jay Claiborne

1718 8th

1718 8th

1235 Monterey

1235 Monterey

1235 Monterey

1235 Monterey

1235 Monterey

1235 Monterey

The one rainbow accessory that I am taking a pass on is the rainbow flag; that will be a separate post.  Except:

Photo: Berkeleyside

Photo: Berkeleyside

I couldn’t resist this – the flag flying in front of City Hall on the day that same-sex marriage became the law of the land.  It is said that the first gay pride flag flew in the San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978.

Quirky Berkeley

And I will make a second exception and note the rainbow flag in the mural at the recently departed InkWorks.

One last gasp/grasp, delving into history:

Dirty Rainbow copy

The Dirty Rainbow – an art store in the 1960s.

I took the rainbow photos to my friend.

1023805-650-1449841033-800ccd2d169727dcfb2c83f0062ba1bc-ohay-tv-30889

He had this photo on his work table and was researching anteaters as pets.  He had, he said, come to the conclusion that they smell pretty bad and thus are not optimal pets, Salvador Dali or no Salvador Dali.  He wondered what Dali was on when he wrote that the giant anteater “reaches sizes bigger than the horse, possesses enormous ferocity, has exceptional muscle power, is a terrifying animal.”

I put some water on for tea as he browsed the photos.  His impression?

IMG_3677-225x300

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3 Responses to Rainbows

  1. will says:
    June 10, 2016 at 1:51 am

    Impressive compilation. You really hit the streets to find these little-and not so little-gems. Good job!

    Reply
  2. Clair says:
    April 3, 2017 at 3:14 pm

    Loving your website!
    Walking Berkeley’s neighborhoods has long been one of my favorite things to do, see all the little hidden gems of this town.
    Rainbows I adore particularly because I’m the proud owner of Rainbow Car if you’ve ever spotted her around town;) I’ve been gone at school the last 2 years but she lived on/came to fruition over on Berkeley Way over a four years work. Even got a picture of her in front of Rainbow House 🙂
    Keep up the great writing!

    Reply
    • tomdalzell says:
      April 4, 2017 at 4:47 am

      I’d LOVE to see the photo with the car. Can you send? Tom

      Reply

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