San Francisco Churches, plate 1

Although postwar San Francisco is remembered as a bastion of counterculture, Catholics formed a significant segment of the population, as attested by the abundance of churches. In this portfolio Barton recorded seven houses of worship. Each plate features a building surrounded by saints, angels, and scenes from the New Testament, a format reminiscent of Byzantine icons. Whereas icons typically center on an image of a saint, Barton gave the buildings themselves the place of honor. His approach was clearly expressive rather than exacting, but a colophon naming each church and its intersection reveals Barton’s desire to represent specific structures.