Memorials to American poet and playwright George Sterling (1869–1926) include a World War II ship named after him, sculptures portraying him, paintings of him and his works, streets named after him, George Sterling Park in San Francisco, memorial magazine issues dedicated to Sterling, memorial poems, monuments displaying his poetry, and Sterling's grave in Oakland, California.

Liberty Ship S. S. George Sterling * During World War II, the Liberty ship SS George Sterling (MC hull no. 2152) was launched September 19, 1943 at Permanente Metals Corp. shipyard 2 in Richmond, California. Novelist and critic Elizabeth Janeway sponsored the christening ceremony and was keynote speaker."Three Ships Are Launched at Richmond," Vallejo Times-Herald (September 20, 1943), p. 2. Other participants in the launching ceremony included Clay Patrick Bedford, the vice president and general manager of Kaiser Industries; musical group the Harmonettes, who performed songs by Sterling; Hilda Caylor, the wife of San Francisco News columnist Arthur Caylor; Mrs. Mark Woolstencroft; and Commander F. T. Barkman, U.S.N."The Launching of the S. S. George Sterling" (Richmond: Permanente Metals Corp, 1943); program in Research Room, Richmond Museum of History.

Sculptures

"George Sterling" (1904) by Robert Ingersoll Aitken Best known for his sculptures on the United States Supreme Court building, Aitken carved a bas relief portrait of Sterling for display at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair."California Sculptor's Works Shipped to the St. Louis Fair", San Francisco Call (May 7, 1904), p. 4. This sculpture is on permanent display in the Harrison Memorial Library's Henry Meade Williams Local History Department in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

"Head of George Sterling" (completed 1925, first exhibited 1930) by Ralph Stackpole Source:"Portrait of George Sterling Carved from Volcanic Stone", The Oakland Tribune (January 11, 1948), p. C-3.

In 1921, Sterling sat for sculptor-painter Stackpole, whom Kenneth Rexroth called "San Francisco's leading artist".Sitting date: "Portrait of George Sterling Carved from Volcanic Stone", previously cited. Rexroth quotation: Kenneth Rexroth, "Ralph Stackpole and the Coit Tower Murals", San Francisco Examiner (February 23, 1964). Stackpole first sculpted a plaster of paris model, then carved a block of either tufa limestone or volcanic tuff into a two-foot-tall head of Sterling.Plaster model and limestone bust: "S. F. Artist at Work" (with photo of plaster model), San Francisco Bulletin (March 11, 1925), p. 7. Volcanic rock: "Portrait of George Sterling Carved from Volcanic Stone", previously cited. When first publicly displayed in 1930, Stackpole's bust won the San Francisco Art Association's award of First Prize for Best Sculpture.Gobind Behari Lal, "Art Association's Awards Announced", San Francisco Examiner (May 4, 1930), p. 10-E. Art critic Gobind Behari Lal, who had known Sterling, wrote: "Those who knew Sterling's character, and power, feel that he is alive again in this stone."Gobind Behari Lal, "Sculpture by Ralph Stackpole", San Francisco Examiner (September 22, 1930), p. E-9. Three years later, "Head of George Sterling" was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.Painting & Sculpture from 16 American Cities (New York City: Museum of Modern Art, 1933), p. 117. See also "Art Club Will Hear Ralph Stackpole", Sacramento Bee (February 17, 1934), p. 20; "Ralph Stackpole, Nationally Famous for Sculptural Work, to Speak", Sacramento Union (February 19, 1934), p. 11. Today "Head of George Sterling" is on display on Level C in Dwinelle Hall at the University of California, Berkeley. The sculpture is dirty and needs restoration.

"George Sterling Death Mask" (1926) by Haig Patigian Immediately after Sterling's 1926 suicide, sculptor Patigian obtained permission from the manager of the mortuary where Sterling's body was stored to mold a death mask of Sterling.Robert H. Willson, "Simplicity Marks Rites for Sterling", San Francisco Bulletin (November 19, 1926), p. 13; "Pastor Hits Sterling's Philosophy on Suicide", Oakland Post Enquirer (November 19, 1926) pp. 3, 18. The death mask was cast in bronze by Herman Steinbrunn of Palo Alto."Sterling Manuscripts Donated to Stanford", Oakland Post-Enquirer (February 5, 1942), p. 8. One bronze death mask is on permanent display near the librarian's desk in the Bohemian Club Library, San Francisco.David B. Magee, "George Sterling, 1869–1926", Bohemian Club Library Notes n. 36 (June 1976), pp. 2–3. A second bronze mask is in the collection of the Carmel public library's Henry Meade Williams Local History Department.

"George Sterling" (circa 1926–1927) by Ward Montague Sculptor and painter Ward Montague (1898–1987) worked with Ralph Stackpole and Diego Rivera.Chris Pattilo, "Soldiers Memorial Monument: Written Historical and Descriptive Data" (Washington, D.C.: Historical American Landscapes Survey, National Park Service, 2018), p. 5. Inspired by Johan Hagemeyer's 1926 portrait photographs of Sterling (and possibly by seeing his friend Stackpole's "Head of George Sterling"), Montague carved a portrait head of the poet. It was photographed for the December, 1927 Sterling memorial issue of Overland Monthly.Photo captions, Overland Monthly v. 75 n. 12 (December 1927), p. 354. The caption misprints Ward Montague's name as "Montague-Ward". This sculpture's current location is unknown.

Places

George Sterling Park George Sterling Park in San Francisco is bordered by Greenwich, Larkin, Hyde, and Lombard Streets atop Russian Hill. A stone bench there was dedicated to Sterling on June 25, 1928. The bench included a plaque with quotations from Sterling's "Ode to Shelley" and "Song of Friendship". "To Remember George Sterling", San Francisco Water v. 7, n. 3 (July 1928), pp. 2–3; additional photos pp. 4–7. "Hillside Bench Dedicated to George Sterling", San Francisco Bulletin (June 25, 1928), p.3. "Memory Bench Honors Poet", San Francisco Examiner (June 26, 1928), p.17. "Song of Friendship", San Francisco Bulletin (June 26, 1928), p.13.

In the 1970s the plaque was stolen. On July 10, 1982, the missing plaque was replaced with a new one quoting Sterling's poem "The Cool, Grey City of Love" at a ceremony attended by literary historian Don Herron, columnist Herb Caen, science fiction author Ray Faraday Nelson, Jack London's daughter Becky, and poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Philip Lamantia, Donald Sidney-Fryer, and Nancy Peters."Dedication Ceremony", San Francisco Examiner (July 4, 1982), p. 203. Mickey Friedman, "Book Scene", San Francisco Examiner (July 5, 1982), p. 37. "George Sterling Glade" in Don Herron, The Literary World of San Francisco & Its Environs (San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1985), pp. 68–69.

The new plaque was later moved to its present location at the park's northwest corner.

George Sterling Bridge A footbridge crossing a ravine in Carmel-by-the-Sea between Torres Street (location of Sterling's house) and Vizcaino Avenue was informally called "George Sterling Bridge". Sterling had used the bridge when he was a Carmel resident."George Sterling Bridge", Carmel Pine Cone (Oct. 10, 1938), p. 13.

The home of composer David Alberto and his wife Iris "... faces the ravine, spanned midway by the George Sterling Bridge, on which face also the homes built by Herbert Heron, Fred Bechdolt, and George Sterling—later acquired by Jimmie Hopper." Some residents wanted the bridge formally named after Sterling, but in the late 1940s or early 1950s the bridge became dilapidated and was removed.Irene Alexander, "In the Cottage by Sterling Bridge, Alberto, Forgetful of a Concert Career, Works on His Stage Lyrics", Carmel Pine Cone-Cymbal (Dec. 17, 1943), pp. 1, 9.

George Sterling redwood tree On October 8, 1950, in Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, the California Writers Club dedicated a redwood tree near the park's cascade as a memorial to Sterling.John Burroughs, "Redwood to Be Dedicated to Poet Sterling's Memory", The Oakland Tribune (October 5, 1950), p. 36-E. The park is the former estate of poet Joaquin Miller, a friend of Sterling's. Sterling and friends frequently camped in and near Miller's estate from 1891 to 1905, when Sterling lived in Oakland and Piedmont, California.Sterling, "Joaquin Miller," American Mercury v. 7 n. 26 (February 1926), pp. 220-229.

The dedication ceremonies included an introduction by Hal Johnson, president of the California Writers Club; reminiscences of Sterling by three people who knew him; readings of poems by Sterling; performances of three songs ("The Hidden Garden", "A Visitant", "Nightfall") with lyrics by Sterling; the placing of a memorial plaque; dance performances to five of Sterling's poems; and a performance of passages from The Redwoods, a Bohemian Club play by Sterling.Program, California Writers Club Tree Dedication to George Sterling (Oakland: Oakland Board of Park Directors, 1950).

The Sterling redwood was next to a tree honoring his best friend Jack London.Herron, The Literary World of San Francisco & Its Environs (previously cited), p. 184. Both trees were in Writers Grove, with other redwood trees bearing plaques to writers. To a visitor standing near Joaquin Miller Road and looking uphill at the Cascade (a long series of stairways designed to resemble water cascading down a hill), Writers Grove is left of the Cascade, uphill from a playground.Karen Paulsell, "Joaquin Miller Park Trail Map" (Oakland: Friends of Sausal Creek, 2015); . Today no plaques are visible on trees there.

Roads Sterling Street in San Francisco is named for George Sterling. The street now leads from Bryant Street to an onramp for carpools to drive onto the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge to Oakland. When the Bay Bridge was first built in 1937, Sterling Street ran under the onramp to Harrison Street, passing the Sterling Street Substation which is now operated by PG&E. The substation was constructed by the Key System to provide electricity to the Bay Bridge. The Key System was a subsidiary of the Realty Syndicate. Sterling was one of seven founders of the Realty Syndicate and served on its board of directors for nine years.For an unknown reason, Google Maps and Apple Maps do not list Sterling Street in San Francisco. Sterling a founder of Realty Syndicate: "Local News Notes," San Francisco Chronicle (September 6, 1895), p. 11; "New Corporation," San Francisco Examiner (September 6, 1895), p. 9. See also "Big Real Estate Syndicate Formed," San Francisco Chronicle (September 23, 1895), p. 12. Sterling resigns from board after nine years: Samuel J. Taylor, "One Hundred Eighty-Sixth and Special Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Realty Syndicate," Minutes of the Board of Directors, v. 5 (San Francisco: Realty Syndicate, Nov. 18, 1904), pp. 24-28, Realty Syndicate Company Records, Bancroft Library. Sterling Avenue in Berkeley is named for George Sterling."Sterling Avenue and George Sterling," William Warren Ferrier, Berkeley, California: The Story of the Evolution of a Hamlet into a City of Culture and Commerce (Berkeley: Ferrier, 1933), pp. 351-353. Sterling Avenue in Alameda is named for George Sterling. Sterling Drive in Oakland is thought to be named for George Sterling.

Poetry on monuments