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Made in Oakland: Four “maker city” stories in four objects

on February 26, 2015

In her first public appearance as Oakland’s then mayor-elect, on the day after her November, 2014, election victory, Libby Schaaf held a celebratory press conference near Lake Merritt wearing a striking red dress, a necklace in the shape of the Oakland tree, a dangling pair of bamboo earrings and riding — unforgettably — in a fire-snorting snail-shaped chariot.

All of these items, it turned out, were made in Oakland — and all of them had a story.

To read about the Oakland artisans and histories behind each of these four objects, click on the images above, or use the links below to read:

The inspiration for the red dress

The making of the bamboo earrings

The building of the fire-breathing snail

The story of Oakland’s famous tree logo

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Photo by Basil D Soufi
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Oakland North is an online news service produced by students at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and covering Oakland, California. Our goals are to improve local coverage, innovate with digital media, and listen to you–about the issues that concern you and the reporting you’d like to see in your community. Please send news tips to: oaklandnorthstaff@gmail.com.

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