The San Francisco Chronicle: Car 1

We were thrilled to be asked to decorate a cable car and loved spending a full day inside the barn covering Car No. 1 in San Francisco Chronicle front pages, ribbon, ornaments and signs. It was the first time the Chronicle had participated in the lovely annual tradition – and the first time any news organization had participated. (The Chronicle loves being Number One!) Chronicle pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub interacted with readers on social media to select the best front pages in the newspaper’s 153-year history for the project, and columnist Heather Knight wrote a column announcing the festivities and another recapping the day of decorating. They encouraged readers to take pictures of the #ChronicleCableCar and post them on Twitter or Instagram. Many readers did just that – and received a framed photo of legendary Chronicle columnist Herb Caen in return. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays – and the Hartlaub and Knight families rode the car together with grip man Val Lupiz (the city’s most famous and most friendly cable car grip man!) A terrific experience from beginning to end.

This was truly a one-of-a-kind experience. We were able to celebrate the Chronicle’s history, on the greatest symbol of history in the city. We were thrilled with the professionalism, preparedness and dedication of the entire cable car decoration crew. We hope to be back in 2019!