PEMABO’s Peace GardenPeter Mason Bond (1882 - 1971)
About the Artist/Site
Peter Mason Bond was born in Australia and came to San Francisco in 1905. A retired sign painter turned artist-philosopher, Bond converted his San Francisco home into the Pemabo Peace Garden in his passionate search for world peace. Hundreds of hand-painted signs expressed his beliefs in the hypocrisy of the academic, political, and theological worlds, interspersed with a myriad of colorful scavenged materials. He also made oil paintings. There is a photograph of the site and a painting illustrated in Twentieth Century American Folk Art and Artists by Hemphill and Weisman. He was included in the exhibitions "Cat and a Ball on a Waterfall" and "Pioneers in Paradise." The Garden was dismantled after his death and most of the works destroyed.
~ Jo Farb Hernández
Contributors
Materials
placards and signs
SPACES Archives Holdings
1 folder: clippings, correspondence, images
Related Documents
Map & Site Information
, 94117
us
Latitude/Longitude: 37.7717185 / -122.4438929
Nearby Environments
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Comments
Stephen Waldman November 9, 2025
Regarding the Pemabo Peace Garden. Your piece says it was dismantled after Bond’s death in the early 1970’s. In fact I saw it numerous times while driving my cab, which delightful employment I took up late in 1976. Thanks for reading. P.S. Also lost to us now is the John Wickett Museum of Exotica. I don’t think you have anything on that. Got inside once after bringing home a taxi fare who was living there.
Carrie Bond February 9, 2025
Thank you for making this site. Pemabo was my great grandfather.
gary leung July 18, 2022
hi, the location of the garden was 1039 Clayton Street. love you site!