November 15, 2024 | Rome, Italy

A death and a discovery

By |2024-10-07T21:21:07+02:00October 5th, 2024|Home, Letters from San Francisco|
Robert Louis Stevenson, born 1850, lived, for a very short time, in San Francisco.

The San Francisco literary community was saddened to hear of the death of Robert D. Haines Jr. earlier this year.

A long-time member of the Book Club of California, Robert Jr. was the son of Robert D. Haines, founder of The Argonaut Book Shop. As the name suggests, the shop was meant to be a destination for those fascinated by fabled quests. In this case, however, the tales are not so much about the pursuit of the Golden Fleece, but rather, of gold – the bookshop is dedicated to the history of the American West, which means, large part, books about California and the Gold Rush.

The shop first opened its doors in 1941 and thrived on Kearny Street in San Francisco’s financial district before moving to its current location on 786 Sutter Street in 1969.

The Argonaut was a founding member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and is a member of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. It is regarded as the premiere specialist in Californian history. Rare maps, prints, photographs, manuscripts, and ephemera comprise some of its offerings.

The shop is still run by the Haines family. Currently, it is Angela Haines, the daughter of Robert D. Haines Jr., at the helm.

It is regarded as the premiere specialist in Californian history. Rare maps, prints, photographs, manuscripts, and ephemera comprise some of its offerings.

After reading Aldo Magagnino’s account of his own journey as a soldier and scholar in “Meeting the General,” I embarked on a search for the works of Robert Louis Stevenson at Argonaut.

To my delight, I discovered a 23-volume set of his work published by Scribner’s in 1903.

Angela Haines also directed me to a prominent shrine dedicated to the author. The Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial was erected here in 1897, nearly three years after his death. For a brief period, Robert Louis Stevenson was resident in San Francisco.

The shrine was originally designed by landscaper Bruce Porter and architect Willis Polk. Engraved on the monument is an excerpt from Stevenson’s travel memoir, “Across the Plains,” which reads:

“To be honest, to be kind – to earn a little, to spend a little less – to make upon the whole a family happier for his presence – to renounce when that shall be necessary, and not be embittered – to keep a few friends but these without capitulation – above all on the same grim condition to keep friends with himself – here is a task for all that a man has of fortitude and delicacy.”

During his time in San Francisco, between December 1879 and March 1890, Stevenson lived near Portsmouth Plaza. His time in San Francisco was not particularly fruitful or pleasant.

Subsequently, he once again became critically ill and was eventually nursed back to health by his fiancée, Fanny Van de Grift. Upon his recovery, the two soon married and departed to Napa before sailing to the South Seas.

Along with The Argonaut Book Shop, the monument is a major destination for literary visitors and pilgrims.

About the Author:

Patrick Burnson worked for The Rome Daily American and the International Herald Tribune early in his career. Using the pen name of Paul Duclos, he is the author of the novel “Flags of Convenience.”