California historian James R. Smith is the author of San Francisco's Lost Landmarks as well as a number of historical articles. Upcoming books include Playland at the Beach: The Early Years as well as California Snatch Racket and Serious Mischief with co-author W. Lane Rogers. A well-respected authority in California history, he has spent years 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.Smith is a fourth-generation native of San Francisco and a sixth-generation Californian. He is often found haunting the libraries and archives of his native city and enjoying its social life with his wife Liberty.