San Francisco has a rich tradition of salons, which are social gatherings hosted to inspire learning, innovation and connection in the artistic, literary, design and intellectual communities. This tradition started at the end of the 19th century and was centered on the homes of prominent Arts and Crafts-era residents of Russian Hill including Willis Polk and Reverend Joseph Worcester. Another of these intellectual groups formed after the Great Depression and was largely composed of the Bay Area’s first generation of native architects and landscape architects. Telesis, as the group was known, included the “Who’s Who” of mid-century Bay Area designers. Early members included: T.J. Kent, Francis Violich, Gardner Dailey, Garret Eckbo, Vernon DeMars, Mel and Geraldine Scott, and important early supporters Dorothy and Morse Erskine. Telesis is Greek for “planned progress” and the group’s 1940 “Space for Living” exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was pivotal to the development of the Bay Region modern design movement and brought public notice to the group’s innovative ideas about urban planning and design. Telesis’ ideas for public housing, urban redevelopment and greening, and other complex social issues led to an era of great experimentation and innovation during and after World War II. The Bay Area experienced a massive population boom after World War II and modern designers offered cutting edge solutions to address the needs for live, work, play, and services to support these needs. The group was influential from 1939 until about 1950. The same issues Telesis tackled are again resurfacing as the Bay Area experiences yet another population boom while trying to solve a major housing shortage, homelessness, and the social effects of the boom/bust cycle.
Sketch of Telesis Exhibit by John Dinwidde. Image source: SPUR
The Telesis Salon Tea was created to channel the spirit of the Telesis group through a blend of both mind-stimulating and soothing herbs. Lemon balm and Yerba Buena (San Francisco’s namesake) help alleviate tension and headaches, Rosemary strengthens the mind and memory, Cinnamon stimulates circulation, and Cornflower evens out the blend with its earthy taste and rich blue color.
Ingredients: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Yerba Buena (Mentha spicata), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), and Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum).
Comes in a large poly-lined compostable bag (1.75 oz by weight) with a reusable muslin tea bag.
