A friend of mine gave me a really interesting book about the Great Earthquake and Fire that destroyed much of San Francisco in 1906. There are photos of the city and the surrounding areas before and after the earthquake, a chronology of events, and testimonials from people that lived through it. One tiny photo of a dog stood out to me. This little terrier was a local celebrity after emerging from the rubble of the St. Francis hotel five days after the earthquake. He survived in the wine cellar beneath the hotel and became a symbol of hope and rebirth for a city forever changed by events beyond its control. Bay Area residents renamed the dog "Francis The Terrier" after the St. Francis hotel and his motto was "Whence All But Him Had Fled."

That tagline resonated with me and seemed just as poignant now as it was one hundred and ten years ago. Artists, musicians, and creative people of all kind are being priced out of San Francisco and it can be very difficult to scrape out a living here without a high-paying job. I decided to make a patch of Francis The Terrier and I've been sending them out to artists that I think deserve to be appreciated for sticking around and giving us hope. I'm calling the project, The Friends of Francis. I'm making the patches available for purchase and for every patch sold, I'm sending a second patch out to a Bay Area artist on my list. If you would like to nominate someone to receive a patch, you can email me at joshua@ellingson.cc. Patches are available on Etsy here.