Recent Comments

    Archives

    Emperor Norton Place Naming Ceremony

    Photos by Juan R. Davila, Joanie Juster, Stacy Marshall, and Diana Brown

    Members of the Imperial Court of San Francisco, including Reigning Emperor Michael Anthony Chua, joined Supervisor Aaron Peskin and other special guests on Sunday, September 17, 2023, for a ceremony unveiling the naming of Emperor Norton Place. It is at the stretch of Commercial Street (600 block) between Kearny and Montgomery Streets where Emperor Norton (James Abraham Norton, 1818–1880) once lived in San Francisco.

    The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band and Ms. Lola Montez performed “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and led a procession to the unveiling of the site. Following the ceremony, a reception was held at Empire Park that included a display of artifacts and activities, such as a scavenger hunt, trivia contest, and more.

    Additional invited guests included Joseph Amster, noted tour guide who appears as Emperor Norton; Taryn Edwards, Emperor Norton Trust; Stacy Marshall, Emperor Norton League; Lana Costantini, San Francisco Historical Society; and Empress XXX Donna Sachet, a San Francisco Bay Times columnist.

    Learn more about Emperor Norton at The Emperor Norton Trust online: https://tinyurl.com/yc4ubtsv

    Published on September 21, 2023