A routine landscaping project in a San Francisco backyard led to the discovery of a nearly two-foot-wide, 150-pound limestone bust, believed to date back to the 1930s. Greg Gatwood, a landscaper, was grading the soil at his home in late May when his shovel struck the buried object.
Initially mistaking it for an old fence post anchor, Gatwood unearthed the object, revealing a carved face. His wife, Judy Gittelsohn, a painter, recognized the artistic skill involved. "To get that smooth transition in carving a stone, any kind of stone, is really a masterful piece of work," she told KTVU.
Gittelsohn’s subsequent inquiries to art experts and scholars suggest the bust was likely created by a student of Ralph Stackpole, a sculptor active during the Works Progress Administration (WPA) era who taught at the San Francisco Art Institute from 1918 to 1941. Stackpole was known for his depictions of indigenous people.
The couple now theorizes the sculpture originated from the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, a World's Fair held on Treasure Island. "The likelihood is that it was made in the 1930s because of the style of execution," Gittelsohn stated, noting its resemblance to art from the 1939 exhibition. Historian Anne Schnoebelen, vice president of the board of directors for the Treasure Island Museum, concurred that the style aligns with the WPA period and suggested it might have been part of the "Court of Pacifica" at the exposition, which featured an 80-foot statue by Stackpole and other sculptures.
Schnoebelen proposed that students such as Adaline Kent, Helen Phillips, or Sargent Claude Johnson could have been the creators. However, the reason for the bust being buried remains unknown. Schnoebelen speculated it could be a piece that was either not liked by the artist or by Stackpole himself, though she noted that destruction would have been a more likely outcome if it were truly disliked. She added that further analysis of the carving techniques and tools used could potentially identify the specific artist.
Despite the lingering questions about its precise origin, the discovery has generated excitement and brought attention to the art of that period. "I love that it's bringing attention to something that I care about very deeply," Schnoebelen said. Gatwood plans to display the bust in his yard, stating it will only be removed if it is determined to be a priceless artifact requiring a museum.
