Jonathan Cohen's photos with the keyword: Mission Street

Lucha libre, meaning "free wrestling", is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries. Although the term nowadays refers exclusively to professional wrestling, it was originally used in the same style as the English term "freestyle wrestling", referring to an amateur wrestling style without the restrictions of Greco-Roman wrestling. Mexican wrestling is characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, as well as "high-flying" maneuvers, some of which have been adopted in the United States. Tag team wrestling is especially prevalent in lucha libre, particularly matches with three-member teams, called trios. Lucha libre wrestlers are known as luchadores (singular luchador). They usually come from extended wrestling families who form their own stables. The history of Mexican wrestling dating back to 1863, during the French Intervention in Mexico, Enrique Ugartechea, the first Mexican wrestler, developed and invented the Mexican lucha libre from the Greco-Roman wrestling. In 1942, lucha libre would be forever changed when a silver-masked wrestler, known simply as El Santo (The Saint), first stepped into the ring. He made his debut in Mexico City by winning an 8-man battle royal. The public became enamored by the mystique and secrecy of Santo’s personality, and he quickly became the most popular luchador in Mexico. His wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances in comic books and movies, while the sport received an unparalleled degree of mainstream attention. The wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches are sometimes contested in which the loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a wager to which great emotional weight is attached.

The Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. In 2008 the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where the day is a public holiday. Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. It was moved to October 31, November 1 and November 2 to coincide with the Roman Catholic triduum festival of Allhallowtide: All Hallows’ Eve, Hallowmas, and All Souls’ Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world, being absorbed within other deep traditions for honoring the dead. It happens to be a holiday that has become a national symbol and as such is taught (for educational purposes) in the nation’s schools, but there are many families who are more inclined to celebrate a traditional "All Saints Day" associated with the Catholic Church. Originally, the Day of the Dead as such was not celebrated in northern Mexico, where it was even unknown until the 20th century; before that the people and the church rejected it in northeastern Mexico because they perceived the day was a result of syncretizing pagan elements with Catholicism. They held the traditional ‘All Saints Day’ in the same way as other Catholics in the world. This is due to the limited or nonexistent Mesoamerican influence in this region, and the relatively few indigenous inhabitants, compared to other regions of Mexico. In the early 21st century in northern Mexico, Día de Muertos is observed because the Mexican government made it a national holiday by its educational policies from the 1960s and has tried to use it as a unifying national tradition in the north of the country. Writer Marguerite Yourcenar has observed that: "autumnal rites are among the oldest celebrated on earth. It appears that in every country the Day of the Dead occurs at the year’s end, after the last harvests, when the barren earth is though to give passage to the souls lying beneath it."

"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill in 1952 and very loosely based on the folk tune, Carnival of Venice. This song is also loosely based on the song "Oh Where, Oh where, has my little dog gone?" The best-known version of the song was the original, recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released in January 1953 by Mercury Records. On April 4, 1953, the song went to No. 1 in the US Billboard magazine chart, staying at that top spot for eight weeks. The song was wildly popular across a wide demographic. The song had school children "yipping"; Mercury Records was besieged with requests for free puppies; and the American Kennel Club’s annual registrations spiked up by eight percent. In all, Page’s record sold over 2 million copies. Rock historian Michael Uslan has stated that songs similar to "Doggie" led to the "fervent embrace of rock & roll" two years after its release. "A lot of songs at that time were extremely bland, squeaky-clean stuff. The music field was ripe for something new, something vibrant to shake the rafters." How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the waggly tail How much is that doggie in the window? I do hope that doggie’s for sale. I must take a trip to California, And leave my poor sweetheart alone. If he has a doggie, he won’t be lonesome. And the doggie will have a good home.

Opened on June 29, 1928, the El Capitan was once the second-biggest movie theater in San Francisco. The was a beautiful example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture while the outside was built with a splendid Mexican Baroque facade. The architect, Gustave Albert Lansburgh, was one of the masters of theater design in the first half of the 20th century. Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture was born as a result of the Panama-California Exposition (held in San Diego in 1915), and became a style movement in the United States from 1915 to 1931. It is a hybrid style based on the architecture from the early Spanish colonization of North and South Americas. It started in California and Florida, which had the ideal climate for Mediterranean-inspired homes and remains popular to this day. The style is usually marked by the use of smooth plaster and stucco walls with cast concrete ornamentation. Other characteristics often include small porches or balconies, tall double-hung windows, canvas awnings, decorative iron, ornamental tile work and arcades. Churriqueresque, or Mexican Baroque was named after Spanish sculptor and architect Jose Benito de Churriquera. The style emerged in the 17th century and is marked by extremely expressive and florid decoration. It is normally found on the main entrance facade of a building. It was a phenomenal moneymaker before television. But from that point on, the huge capacity of the house – it could seat some 2,500 people – made it a white elephant. Once patrons started staying home more to watch the small screen its days were numbered. It as gutted in 1964. The exterior of the building (shops, a rooming house and the old marquee) are still there. Ever since, motorists can drive through what was once the lobby entrance into a … parking lot. One San Franciscan remembers it as follows: "We called it ‘The Cap’ and it was a beautiful theater. The marquee flashed in beautiful colors and the sign would spell out the letters of the theater one by one. A tall big guy named Dan Mclean ran the place. He was always dressed in a tuxedo and top hat, greeting you as you came in. I remember his huge black handlebar moustache. My mom thought he was a cutie pie and he would flirt with her. There was a powder room upstairs and my mom had to powder her nose one more time before we left, and she flirted with him on the way out. What I remember about the Cap, were those beautiful curtains on the stage, there were two of them. When the curtains opened there was another one right behind it that started to open and went straight up. The previews would start and on the screen it would say, "Coming Soon to your El Capitan …’ It made you feel like you owned it."