SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Legion of Honor may house a stunning art collection, but to many, it's a work of art itself. Perched on a dramatic cliffside overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, its columns replicate the original Legion of Honor in Paris. And now, it is launching a year-long celebration to mark its 100th anniversary.
"This is the building under construction. In around 1923, you can see the sand dunes," said Isabella Lores-Chavez, Ph.D.
, associate curator of European paintings, while pointing to a black and white photograph. She says the early story of the Legion of Honor is intertwined with a unique San Francisco character who helped build it: Alma Spreckels. "Alma de Bretteville Spreckels is a San Francisco-born lady who became the kind of grand dame of San Francisco.
She was born in the outer, outer lands right in the outer sunset and grew up in a farmhouse," Lores-Chavez said. "And allegedly, she was the model for the figure at the top of the pillar in Union Square. It's a figure of victory.
So she, you know, had sort of made a name for herself that way as a great beauty." She was a beauty who caught the eye of millionaire sugar magnet, Adolph Spreckels. Their marriage in 1908 gave her money, status and eventually a plan to create a stunning museum.
MORE: 'Battle of Pavia' exhibit at SF's de Young Museum displays turning point in Italy's history "It was a huge deal. The mayor was here the day of the opening, and he said that during the opening ceremony, he said t.
