South Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Shuman Block

McDougall Brothers, Architects

— 1906 —

The Shuman Block Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, April 5, 2012

1. The Shuman Block Marker

Inscription. Berkeley History Horse-drawn wagons once carried goods to the Berkeley Free Market housed here. In 1952 the structure was modernized to accommodate automobile showrooms, with artist studios above. Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Biscoff, William Theophilus Brown, and Paul Wonner are among the prominent Bay Area painters who rented studios here. Together with David Park, who had a studio in downtown Berkeley, Bischoff and Diedenkorn founded the Bay Area Figurative style. While here, in 1955-1956, Diebenkorn combined abstraction with nature in his “Berkeley Series” landscapes.

A 1999 rehabilitation by owners John Gordon and The Bay Area Architects restored much of the building’s original appearance. Artists continue to use the upstairs studios.

Erected 2005 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1952.

Location. 37° 51.768′ N, 122° 16.021′ W. Marker is in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in South Berkeley. It can be reached from Shattuck Avenue north of Parker Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2571 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Davis-Byrne Building (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Barker Building (about 600 feet away); Charles W. Woodworth House (approx. ¼ mile away); Howard Automobile Company (approx. ¼ mile away); g. Paul Bishop Studio (approx. 0.3 miles away); Morse Block (approx. 0.4 miles away); Tupper & Reed Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); Berkeley Public Library (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.

Also see . . . Bay Area Figurative Movement - Facebook. (Submitted on April 11, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, April 5, 2012

2. The Shuman Block Marker

The Shuman Block image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, April 5, 2012

3. The Shuman Block

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,061 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 11, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.