Lower Nob Hill in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
891 Post Street
Literary Landmarks Register
Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) lived in this building from 1926 until 1929, when he wrote his first three novels: Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), and The Maltese Falcon (1930).
Sam Spade's apartment in The Maltese Falcon is modeled on Hammett's, which was on the northwest corner of the fourth floor.
This site is dedicated a Literary Landmark by Friends of Libraries U.S.A.
Erected 2005 by Friends of Libraries U.S.A., San Francisco Chronicle.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the Literary Landmarks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.
Location. 37° 47.234′ N, 122° 24.982′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Lower Nob Hill. Marker is at the intersection of Post Street and Hyde Street, on the right when traveling east on Post Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 891 Post Street, San Francisco CA 94109, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 851 O'Farrell Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); Blanco's Café & Music Box (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hotel Jefferson (approx. ¼ mile away); Hotel Winton (approx. ¼ mile away); Isadora Duncan (approx. ¼ mile away); Cadillac Hotel (approx. ¼ mile away); Hamlin Hotel (approx. ¼ mile away); Wally Heider Recording - 1969-1980 (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
Also see . . .
1. Dashiell Hammett (Wikipedia). Samuel Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, screenwriter, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man), and the Continental Op (Red Harvest and The Dain Curse).... Hammett "is now widely regarded as one of the finest mystery writers of all time". In his obituary in The New York Times, he was described as "the dean of the... 'hard-boiled' school of detective fiction." Time magazine included Hammett's 1929 novel Red Harvest on its list of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005. His novels and stories also had a significant influence on films, including (but not limited to) the genres of private-eye/detective fiction, mystery thrillers and film-noir. (Submitted on September 15, 2017.)
2. Dashiell Hammett's San Francisco (YouTube, 91 minutes). Curator/writer Brad Rosenstein took us down the foggy mean streets of Dashiell Hammett's San Francisco, exploring how the city and the writer combined to shape each other's myths and produce some iconic American fiction -- and some classic movies as well. Rosenstein, whose last presentation here focused on Ernest Hemingway, is developing an enthusiastic following for his unique, multi-media programs on larger-than-life cultural figures.
891 Post is discussed approximately 43 minutes into the video. (Submitted on September 15, 2017.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2017, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 521 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 15, 2017, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 4. submitted on September 15, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.