Mission District in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Maxime Le Forestier: la Maison Bleue / the Blue House

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, November 20, 2021

1. Maxime Le Forestier: la Maison Bleue / the Blue House Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

En 1970, Maxime Le Forestier s'est inspiré de cette maison bleue pour l'écriture d'un de ses tout premiers succès "San Francisco"

"C'est une maison bleue adossée à la colline..."

Plaque offerte par le Consulat Général de France à San Francisco.

Peinte par RESSOURCE Société Française

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In 1970, Maxime Le Forestier was inspired by this blue house and composed one of his signature songs "San Francisco"

Plaque offered by the Consulate General of France in San Francisco.

Painted by RESSOURCE Société Francaise

Erected 2011 by Consulate General of France in San Francisco.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1970.

Location. 37° 45.666′ N, 122° 25.758′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in the Mission District. Marker is on 18th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3841 18th Street, San Francisco CA 94114, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Miguel Hidalgo (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mexico's Liberty Bell (A Replica) (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Golden Hydrant (approx. ¼ mile away); La Misión San Francisco de Asís (approx. ¼ mile away); Fray Francisco Palou, O.F.M. (approx. ¼ mile away); Guillermo Granizo (approx. ¼ mile away); Misión San Francisco de Asís (approx. ¼ mile away); El Camino Real (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

Also see . . .
1. Maxime Le Forestier - San Francisco (YouTube, 3 min., audio-only). (Submitted on November 21, 2021.)
2. Maxime Le Forestier (Wikipedia).

' "San Francisco", one of his best known songs, begins with the line: "C'est une maison bleue adossée à la colline" (meaning "It's a blue house with its back to the hill"). In 1971, a young Le Forestier was living in a hippie commune, called "Hunga Dunga", in a blue house situated at 3841 18th Street in San Francisco. The anthemic song was written as a fond tribute to Le Forestier's housemates and hippie friends, and the names mentioned in the song refer to real people. These include Phil Polizatto, who recalls with great affection Le Forestier's stay in the blue house, in a critically acclaimed book entitled "Hunga Dunga: Confessions
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, November 20, 2021

2. La Maison Bleue / the Blue House and Marker
The marker is visible just above the garage door.
of an Unapologetic Hippie". In the summer of 2011, the house was repainted from light green to its original blue, and a plaque dedicated to Le Forestier was unveiled by the French Consul, pointing to the cultural importance of the song in French popular culture.'

(Submitted on November 21, 2021.)

Maxime Le Forestier - LP cover (as depicted on marker) image. Click for full size.

circa 1972

3. Maxime Le Forestier - LP cover (as depicted on marker)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 1,103 times since then and 128 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 21, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.