Known simply as The Fillmore since about 1952, the Fillmore Auditorium remains one of the most important music performance spaces in San Francisco and a major landmark in the Western Addition neighborhood. The list of recognizable names who’ve graced The Fillmore’s stage is endless: Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Otis Redding, James Brown, Tina Turner, and many more.
Aside from the big name headliners, however, the auditorium has also been an important neighborhood institution, serving the Western Addition community since well before the 1950s. After all, since its opening in 1912 as The Majestic Hall and Majestic Academy of Dancing, the space has been several different dance halls, a place for masquerade balls, and a roller rink.
Found in the “Shades of Western Addition” series of the SFPL Digital Photo collection, below is a photo of Clarence and Emma Jean going to a concert at The Fillmore in 1961.
