The Light Between Two Towers is getting recognized

The documentary film relating the San Jose Electric Light Tower and the Eiffel Tower has received its first two awards. It was recognized as an Official Selection for both the Rome Independent Prisma Awards and the Depth of Field International Film Festival. If you haven't seen the movie yet, we highly recommend doing so. You can watch The Light Between Two Towers over here. 

Souresseau News: When Artists Flew Like Birds

This week's history video is about historic drawings from bird's eye views. Artists had to get pretty creative before planes and drones were around, and many of these drawings are incredibly detailed. Ironically the newer maps featured in the video had a lot less detail and were not to scale.

To watch the two minute video, click here.

When Artists Flew Like Birds from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Souresseau News: Horse Power!

This week's history video is about early transportation in San Jose--namely horses. It's difficult to imagine a time when blacksmiths used to be the most important people in town and a limo was a wagon pulled by 6 horses. Kick back and journey 110-120 years back in time with this short documentary.

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Souresseau News: When Letterheads Told a Story

This week's history video is about historic San Jose letterheads. Many of these were printed over a century ago and the quality of the artwork that went into them is quite impressive.

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Souresseau News: Women at Work

This week's history video is about women in the workplace, starting with an 1860's photo of two San Jose female ranchers. While we still have inequalities in the workplace even today, it appears that there were more opportunities for women in San Jose many decades (or even a century) ago that I would have assumed.

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Souresseau News: Gateways and Arches

This week's history video is about San Jose's gateways and arches. Did you know that San Jose once had a welcome gateway for visitors near the Basset St. station on North First Street? Or that after the electric tower fell, the city built a gateway with an electrified San Jose sign?

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Souresseau News: Signs

This week's history video is about San Jose signs. As you'll see in the video, the mid-century trend was neon. It would be amazing to restore the few signs from the video that are still around to their original glory.

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Souresseau News: Waterways and Floods

This week's history video is about waterways and floods. Interestingly enough, in 1915 the Guadalupe River was briefly dammed to great a lake in Downtown San Jose (photo below). Another interesting tidbit is that Alviso has been flooded more often than any other part of San Jose (likely the reason why the region never took off).

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Sourisseau News: New Almaden

This week's history video is about New Almaden, one of San Jose's most hidden neighborhoods. The Quicksilver (mercury) mine in New Almaden produced an incredible amount of wealth, more than any gold mine in the state. If you go to the site of the old mine today, there is actually a neat little museum there.

To watch the two minute video on New Almaden, click here.

Souresseau News: Ethnic Communities

This week's history video is about ethnic communities that moved to San Jose. Even 100 years ago, San Jose was surprisingly diverse with French, German, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, and Filipino immigrants. At one point we even had the largest minority population in California.

To watch the two minute video, click here.

Sourisseau News: Early Banks

This week's history video is about banking. Below is a drawing of the Knocks and Beans bank, San Jose's first bank which opened in 1866 at 1st and Santa Clara. Eventually it was changed to the Bank of San Jose and moved across the street. Some of the most beautiful historic buildings in San Jose were once banks, and all of them are featured in this short 2 minute documentary.

To watch the video, click here.

Sourisseau News: Marching to a Different Beat

Over the next several weeks, I'll link to short San Jose historical videos commissioned by Linda L. Lester and published by WMS Media. The first video is a montage of eccentric San Jose personalities. The person photographed below is A. D. M. Cooper, who had a downtown studio filled with nude drawings, many of which were used as payments for bar tabs. It's only a two minute video with a lot of interesting facts.

To watch the video, click here.

Downtown for the Holidays

There is no better place in the Bay Area to get into the holiday spirit than Downtown San Jose. To learn about all of the events and attractions going on right now such as Christmas in the Park, Downtown Ice, and Winter Wonderland... head over to the Downtown for the Holidays website.


Downtown for the Holidays Showcase from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Sourisseau News: The Lives of Automobiles

Last week we posted a Sourisseau News video about bicycles--this week we have a video about early cars in the San Jose area. The two minute video is embedded below for your enjoyment.

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News: The Lives of Automobiles February 2017 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Sourisseau News: The Valley’s Love Affair with the Bicycle

While biking is extremely popular in San Jose today, and we are one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US, our love for bicycles goes all the way back to the 1880's. To learn more, check out the two minute Sourisseau News video below.

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.


Sourisseau News: The Valley's Love Affair With the Bicycle - March 2017 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Sourisseau News: Women Cannery Workers

The San Jose Fruit Packing company was once the largest cannery in the world and by the 1930s, Santa Clara Valley's 38 canneries were the largest employers of women in California.To learn more about the important role of women keeping these these canneries afloat, watch the latest episode of Sourisseau News below.

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News August 2017 Women Cannery Workers from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Sourisseau News: Hotel Vendome

On First Street, just north of Downtown, there once stood the Hotel Vendome. The 150-room hotel was only around between 1889 and 1930, but featured several interesting amenities like a bowling alley. Eventually increased competition and damage from fires led it to shut down and the land was subdivided and sold off. It would have been nice to preserve this gem near Japantown, much like we were able to do for Hayes Mansion, the Hotel Montgomery, and the Hotel DeAnza.

Watch the two-minute video more to learn about this hotel and see some amazing historic photos.

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News: Hotel Vendome - April 2017 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Sourisseau News: Ice Cream

In this fascinating two-minute video, learn about the history of ice cream in San Jose. I wish I could travel back in time to experience some of the locations in the video like O'Brien's Candy Store!

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News Ice Cream January 2017 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Sourisseau News: Wetting your Whistle

It looks like I missed quite a few Sourisseau News videos from earlier this year so I will be playing catch-up for the next few weeks. The two minute video below highlights many of San Jose's famous watering holes from the past century. 50 years from now, I wonder if San Joseans will be watching similar videos about the top bars of the 2010s.

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News Wetting your Whistle November 2016 from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Sourisseau News: Let’s Shop!

If you want to learn more about the history of shopping in San Jose, look no further than the latest two-minute Sourisseau News video below. It begins with HART's department store in Downtown San Jose and then provides a glimpse into the history of what we now know as Valley Fair mall. Can you guess which department store is in the photo below? (Hint: I had never heard of it before watching the video).

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News June 2017 Let's Shop! from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.