Bob Pritikin

Robert C. "Bob" Pritiken is a San Francisco socialite, bon vivant,cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/09/09/blisick.DTL|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|title=Celebrating Labor Day at the 'Mansion in the Mission'|author=Beth Lisick|date=2004-09-04] author, and former advertising executive.

Early life and career

Pritikin was born to a Russian Jewish fathercite news|publisher=Süddeutsche Zeitung|title=Interview mit Kunstsammler Robert C. Pritikin:"Ich hätte auch eine Million dafür ausgegeben"|date=2007-11-20|author=Claudia Fromme|url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/artikel/138/143815/] and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from UCLA. He became a high-ranking executive at Young & Rubicam, then formed his own ad agency, Pritikin & Gibbons. For a period he taught at San Francisco State University.

In the 1970s he was Creative Director of Fletcher, Richards, Calkins and Holden, responsible among other things for landmark Folgers Coffee television commercials. San Francisco author Armistead Maupin credits Printkin's turning him down for a job as being responsible for Maupin's writing Tales of the City [cite news|title='City' revisited:People who were there|author=Jesse Hamlin|date=2001-05-01|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/05/01/DD218034.DTL|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle]

Hotellier

In 1977 Pritikin opened the "Mansion Hotel", a bed and breakfast in Pacific Heights, where he would entertain guests with magic shows and musical performances. The hotel, consisting of two Queen Anne mansions connected by a hallway, was decorated eclectically, with caged and uncaged birds (including a Macaw sometimes said to be the reincarnation of the house's original owner), pig memorabilia, life-sized stuffed dolls of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Richard Nixon's letter of resignation as United States President and Gerald Ford's letter of pardon, fresh flowers and candy in every room, a central music system that always played classical music, and a player piano that was supposedly played by "Claudia", a ghost. The hotel had a collection of sculptures in its yard. [cite book|title=Best Places to Stay in California: Bed & Breakfasts, Historic Inns and Other Recommended Getaways|author=Anne E. Wright|pg=75|date=2000|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6vqm_TvYZ-sC&pg=PA75&lpg=PA75&dq=bufano+mansion+hotel&source=web&ots=DIUWfilQze&sig=vW18J0LUbCBSx8a6hdmQ6zexPvw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result|publisher=Houghton Mifflin books|isbn=0618005323]

Pritikin opened the hotel on election days as a local polling station, encouraging voters with music, an ice sculpture in the shape of an eagle, layer cake and caviar. [cite news|publisher=Associated Press|title=Hotelier Uses Luxury Touch to Lure Voters|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB728CF20DF9A88&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|date=1986-06-04] [cite news|publisher=New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9502E5D7133BF932A05753C1A964948260|title= Hotel Dressed Up for Voters |publisher=United Press International] In 2000 he sold the hotel, by then designated a city landmark, as private housing.

Chenery Mansion

In 1981 Pritikin built a mansion for himself in the quiet residential neighborhood of Glen Park, San Francisco. The building, also known as "Chenery House", is the largest private property in the city, featuring a swimming pool inside a second story living room.Cite news|publisher=San Francisco Examiner|url=http://www.examiner.com/a-305949~Bob_Pritikin.html|title=Bob Pritikin|author=Elisabeth Laurence|date=2006-09-23] The house was used for a period as a rental event center. [cite web|url=http://www.mybayareawedding.com/categories/halls/brochures/receptionfacilities_12991.html|publisher=mybayareawedding.com|title=Chenery House] Pritikin was notorious for throwing eccentric parties at the house, including political fundraisers,cite news|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/1998-05-06/news/downtown-s-fairy-godmother/|date=1998-05-06|publisher=SF Weekly|title=Downtown's Fairy Godmother|author=Peter Byrne] an annual Labor Day party for 850 people, [cite web|publisher=Art Business|url=http://www.artbusiness.com/1open/090406.html|title=Special Report:Bob Pritikin's First Annual Last Labor Day Party|date=2006-09-6] and a yearly passover seder. Pritkin is an avid clasical musical saw performer, considered one of the world's greatest, often hosting performances. Frequent performers, other than Pritikin himself, have included Bob Weir and Ratdog, Carol Channing, and Tammy Faye Messner. Other guests over the years have ranged from Mickey Rooney to Liberace. [cite news|url=http://www.socialdomain.com/info.php3?id=29083|publisher=Social Domain|title=Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:Last Passover Supper Buffet at Bob Pritikin's Mansion|date=2008-04-20] In one event he bussed thirty guests to San Jose for dinner at the Wendy's that was the site of the infamous chili finger incident. [cite web|url=http://www.artbusiness.com/1open/061405.html|publisher=Art Business|date=2005-06-14|title=Special Report:Digital Dining with Bob Pritikin]

Pritikin is a collector of many things. His art collection is said to be worth at least $40 million. In 2007 he paid $100,000 for a world globe that Adolf Hitler had used to plan submarine warfare from his Eagle's Nest compound in the Bavarian Alps, and was taken to California by an American soldier in 1945. [Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/924007.html|publisher=Haaretz|date=2007-11-14|title=U.S. Jewish entrepreneur buys Hitler's globe for $100,000|author=DPA] [cite news|publisher=Daily Mail|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-493523/Sold-Hitlers-globe-fetches-50-000-auction--times-estimate.html|title=Sold: Hitler's globe fetches £50,000 at auction - five times its estimate|date=2007-11-14] In an interview, he claimed it would make a good counterpart to his Benjamin Bufano sculptures, which celebrated world peace.

In 2004 Pritikin decided to bequeath the mansion to the City of San Francisco for use as an official mayoral residence. [cite web|url=http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=28910|publisher=City of San Francisco|title=Legislation Introduced Including All Off-Calendar Items |date=2004-12-14] cite news|publisher=Noe Valley Voice|url=http://www.noevalleyvoice.com/2004/October/Rumo.html|title=and now for the Rumors Behind the News |date=October, 2004|author=Mazook]

Books published

*cite book|title=Christ Was an Ad Man: The Amazing New Testament in Advertising|author=Robert C. Pritiken|date=1980|publisher=G P Putnams Sons] an autobiography and advice book on advertising.
*cite book|title=Pritikin's Testament: Miracle Ads for Big & Small Advertisers, Retailers, and Entrepreneurs|author=Robert Pritikin|publisher=Prentice Hall|date=1991|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HXCOBXyfa7UC&q=%22pritikin%27s+testament%22&dq=%22pritikin%27s+testament%22&client=firefox-a&pgis=1|isbn=0135851912

References