California historian James R. Smith is the author of San Francisco's Lost Landmarks and San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Early Years, as well as a number of historical articles. He co-authored The California Snatch Racket: Kidnappings during the Prohibition and Depression Eras with friend and noted author W. Lane Rogers. The pair also co-wrote Serious Mischief: Crimes in California, slated for publication in 2012. Smith is currently working on San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Golden Years, covering 1945 through 1972.

A well-respected authority in California history, he has spent years researching and chronicling the stories of San Francisco and California. Smith is a frequent lecturer and discussion leader at universities, historical societies, libraries and bookstores. A member of the California Historical Society, the San Francisco History Association, the San Francisco Historical Society, and the Library Fund at the University of California, Berkeley, Smith is active in the preservation and promotion of history and historical lore. He is also a participating member of San Francisco City Guides, a non-profit sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library dedicated to sharing the city's sights and history. Smith is a fourth-generation native of San Francisco and a sixth-generation Californian.

James R. Smith (Jim)
P.O.Box 487
Murphys, CA 95247-0487

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