Joshua Norton, San Francisco’s original eccentric who carried himself with the air of a hungover peacock, had the moxie to declare himself emperor of the United States and Mexico, and the mojo to send marriage proposals to Queen Victoria. Despite being a failed businessman at the time of his arrival in San Francisco, the newly christened Emperor Norton persevered and he became a respected and beloved member of the local community.
Donning a second-hand, Union general’s outfit, the printed proclamations from the self-declared emperor nonetheless carried impact and appeared with bated breath in the newspapers of the time period. It was Emperor Norton who first proposed the necessity of a new bridge to link San Francisco and Oakland… in 1872.
Norton also pushed back against the anti-Chinese immmigrant hysteria of the time period, and preferred the black-owned newspaper, the Pacific Appeal, to serve as the “imperial organ” for his proclamations.
Queen Victoria may have rebuffed his wedding proposals, but Norton found no shortage of companionship as evident by the two dogs named Bummer and Lazarus who followed him around town. Norton transcended his poverty by printing up his own currency that carried weight in several San Francisco establishments. Ten thousand people attended his funeral. Norton had no legitimate money at the time of his death, but a fundraising campaign was successfully launched to provide for a coffin fit for an emperor.
Emperor Norton’s Boozeland at 510 Larkin St. in San Francisco is a celebration of all things Emperor Norton, including a painting by Brian Stannard to keep the barflies company.
brianstannard.com 