RON HENGGELER

The front entrance of San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel high atop Nob Hill is usually flying the flags of many nations.
This Fairmont tradition began right after World War Two when on April 25, 1945, delegates of 50 nations met in San Francisco for the United Nations Conference on International Organization. After working for two months, the fifty nations represented at the conference drew up the 111-article Charter of the United Nations. The United Nations Charter was adopted unanimously and signed in the San Francisco Opera House on June 26, 1945.

Once a year only, on July 4th weekend, these international flags are replaced with American flags.
I shot this photo on the July 4th weekend in 2005.

One year later, it was used as the front cover of Nob Hill Gazette July issue.