Portola Theater c1910

Description:
Entrance to the Portola movie theater (looking east), 4916 Telegraph Avenue (probably today's 4920 Telegraph Avenue), Temescal district, Oakland, Calif. According to an article in the October 23, 1952 edition of the Oakland Telegraph, this theater, run by Carr and Zappetini, was Temescal's first nickelodeon. Rudy Ghigliotti, whose name appears on the front of the photograph, grew up in Temescal, was active in the community, including the Temescal Merchants Association, and was proprietor of Idora Reality. "Eil Bosso is the girl wearing the checkered dress and holding a doll. The movie playing is Cowpuncher's Ward, which was released in 1910; therefore the date of the photo is most likely 1910." [Donald Hausler note] Various businesses subsequently occupied this site, including Tira Furniture, Temescal Cafe, the Mixing Bowl, and Boss Kat Kitchen.

Date of Document:
1910

Document Author:
Unknown

Geographic Location:
4920 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, Calif.

Context:
Immigrants from northern Italy had begun to settle in Temescal well before the turn of the 20th century. However, it was the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire that brought a significant influx of Italian Americans to Temescal, eventually transforming it into the East Bay s Little Italy. So many came many fleeing San Francisco s North Beach neighborhood that by the 1930s, most Temescal s stores, markets, banks, restaurants, and bars along Telegraph Avenue were Italian American owned. It was said that Temescal s commercial district so diverse was its businesses provided everything one might need.