'Real Old Paper Gallery' Brings Vintage Poster Art To North Beach

'Real Old Paper Gallery' Brings Vintage Poster Art To North BeachPhoto: Real Old Paper Gallery
Joe Bonadio
Published on May 31, 2017

North Beach has long been a refuge for artists and musicians. Now, a recent addition to the gallery scene specializes in rare and antique poster art: Real Old Paper Gallery at 801 Columbus Avenue.

The gallery occupies an oddly-shaped, light-filled space at the intersection of Mason and Columbus Avenue. The former home of Conor Fennessy Antiques, a longtime North Beach favorite, this is the first time in over five years that the space has been occupied by a gallery.

(Fennessy, a fixture of the neighborhood, passed away earlier this year.)

Real Old Paper Gallery, on the corner of Columbus Ave. and Mason St. in North Beach. | Photo: Joe Bonadio/Hoodline

Open since November 2016, the gallery quickly gained notice for its impressive collection of poster art. Through a partnership with Paradox Media, a Bay Area event production company, they’ve dedicated one of the shop’s main walls to local artists. There's also an underground workshop, currently a work in progress, called Subterranean Studios.

Owner Andrew England, a native of Oakland, was inspired by his previous work in Hawaii. He had worked for a much bigger gallery in Maui, Vintage European Posters, for years. Through his position, which involved travel and curating the owner's collection, he worked his way up and started building his own collection. 

Eighteen months ago, he left the busy West Maui gallery and returned to the Bay Area eighteen months ago. He said that he's paid his dues to get to this point.

“Since I’ve been back, I’ve worked security, other than this," he told us. "That’s the only other talent I had, besides curating posters!”

Owner Andrew England at Real Old Paper Gallery. | Photo: Real Old Paper Gallery/Facebook

At Real Old Paper, the focus is on the antique poster collection, and England has a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of many of his pieces. As he explains each piece's background and influences to us, a stroll around the gallery with him is like a tour.

Alongside his collection, the gallery also showcases contemporary Bay Area artists, an intentional choice for the local audience.

“Because so much of my collection is Western European and from other parts of the world," he said, "it’s important for me to have some things that are more current, things that the community can relate more closely to.”

Behind England's fascination with old posters is an interest in looking back at the past.  “I appreciate looking into different times, seeing what things looked like in the 30s, what they looked like in the 60s," he explained. "They give you a glimpse of the lifestyle of the period."

For him, the painstaking process to create posters in the past is itself a lost art. "I mean, advertising is still an art, in a way," he told us, "but it’s so different than it used to be."

This Friday, Real Old Paper Gallery is part of the North Beach First Fridays tour, featuring the work of large-scale photographer Darren Samuelson. They expect to be hosting more local events as they settle into the space.