Honoring Service and Craft: Veteran-Owned Excellence in Framing

Did you know that Capricorn Framing is a veteran-owned business? Co-owner Keith Wicker proudly served 20 years in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard before settling in San Francisco — and before discovering his second calling in custom framing. During his distinguished military career, Keith taught and flew both attack and utility helicopters, serving as an instructor pilot and instrument flight examiner. After retiring from the military, he continued his aviation journey in the Bay Area, flying news helicopters and managing regional operations based out of Hayward, California.

That same precision, discipline, and artistry that guided him in the cockpit now inform every frame crafted at Capricorn Framing. Each project reflects a veteran’s eye for detail and dedication to excellence — values shared by all who have served.

Those shared values of craftsmanship and service also define our sister brand, Walter Adams Framing, which proudly collaborates with other veteran-owned artisans. Our current partnership with ValCo Ornate Frames, founded by combat veteran Val Schaefer, celebrates that spirit of excellence. ValCo’s handcrafted frames transform functional design into fine art, blending Modern Victorian style with a meticulous respect for detail. Each piece is built with care, creativity, and a profound sense of craftsmanship — principles we hold close at Walter Adams Framing.

Recently, Walter Adams Framing had the privilege of creating a custom display honoring military service — a project that called for balance, honor, and humility. From medals to rank insignia, every element was positioned with symmetry and precision. For intricate three-dimensional work like this, we use museum glass or Optium acrylic to ensure each detail is protected and presented with absolute clarity.

Across both studios — Capricorn Framing and Walter Adams Framing — our mission remains the same: to bring respect, artistry, and authenticity to every project. On this Veterans Day, and every day, we salute those whose service inspires our craft.

To all veterans: thank you for your service.

#VeteranOwned #CustomFraming #CapricornFraming #WalterAdamsFraming #ValCoFrames #Craftsmanship #MadeWithPride #VeteransDay

Rainbow Honor Walk Honoree Phyllis Lyon

Today on the anniversary of her birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Phyllis Ann Lyon (November 10, 1924 – April 9, 2020). A pioneering lesbian activist, writer, and feminist, Lyon co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955 — the first social and political organization for lesbians in the United States — alongside her lifelong partner, Del Martin. Together, they advanced LGBTQ+ visibility and equality through decades of advocacy, journalism, and leadership, paving the way for generations to come.

Read the tribute below in SF Bay Times by longtime close friend of the couple, Kate Kendell.

Titanic: Unsinkable Moneymaker
by David Eugene Perry

8 November 2025 – At Sea: Ahoy! Today I gave my ever-popular maritime history presentation “Titanic: Now and Then” aboard Holland America’s Oosterdam for her TransAtlantic crossing.

In a very real way, I’m here today because of Titanic, having become fascinated by the late great White Star liner after watching the Clifton Webb / Barbara Stanwyck movie Titanic on the late show with my mother in our den in Richmond, Virginia, when I was five or six years old. I was hooked. From there, I couldn’t get enough. When I was later gifted with a copy of Walter Lord’s seminal 1955 book about the tragedy, A Night to Remember, I read it in one sitting and have since re-read it dozens of times. It certainly fueled my lifelong fascination with all things shippy, and was a direct inspiration for my “two years before the masthead” as I call it, working my way around the world in 1998 / ’99 editing the newspaper aboard Crystal Symphony. When I came home, I met Alfredo, so actually – I have “Titanic” to thank for that too. Imagine!

Although there had been previous books, and even films, about Titanic, Lord’s book re-ignited “Titanic Fever”—an affliction seemingly with no cure. Every tome, TV show, and theatrical release since then owes its nativity to ANTR. Earlier this year, Alfredo and I had the chance to visit the great writer’s grave in Baltimore, Maryland. Though he wrote other fine works—including one of the best accounts ever written about the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor—he remains inextricably linked to Titanic. After Robert Ballard discovered the ocean liner’s wreck in 1985, Lord followed with a companion volume, The Night Lives On.

Indeed, the night of April 14–15, 1912 “lives on” in more ways than that Celine Dion song. There have been hundreds of books, dozens of films, television specials, and even a Broadway musical inspired by the legendary liner. It struck me the other day that Titanic may well have been the first ship that made more money sunk than sailing.

During my time on Crystal Symphony is when Cameron’s epic (and extremely accurate) film came out. Many cruise lines were nervous. What would this do for sales? Cunard was said to have been more than a bit anxious, as the company’s full name is “Cunard White Star” from the merger of the two lines in 1934. They needn’t have worried. It is estimated that Cameron’s Titanic resulted in a 35% increase in cruise bookings. Would-be passengers were fascinated by the glamour and romance of the all-too-briefly sailing liner. “Ca-CHING” indeed went those cruise ship bookings!

So below, an interesting financial analysis.

The Cost of a Legend:

When she was completed in 1912, Titanic cost about £1.5 million, or roughly $7.3 million USD at the time. Adjusted for inflation, that’s the equivalent of about $225–$500 million in 2025 dollars, depending on how one measures economic scale. In short, building Titanic was roughly as costly as constructing a modern megaship or luxury cruise liner today. 

Yet, as immense as her cost was, her afterlife has been far more profitable. 

From Tragedy to Treasure:

James Cameron’s 1997 epic Titanic cost an estimated $200 million to produce—ironically, about the same as the real ship in today’s terms. The film went on to gross $2.26 billion worldwide, or around $4 billion in 2025 dollars, securing its place among the three highest-grossing films of all time.

But the story doesn’t end there. From films and documentaries to exhibitions, merchandise, tourism, and expeditions, the “Titanic brand” has become an enduring global industry:

Total estimated global impact since 1912:

$10–15 billion and counting.

That makes Titanic one of history’s most profitable “brands”—right up there with Star Wars, The Beatles, and the Apollo moon program in terms of cultural and commercial reach.

The Unsinkable Story:

From her tragic maiden voyage to her rediscovery on the ocean floor, from Walter Lord’s pen to James Cameron’s lens, Titanic continues to fascinate, inspire, and enrich. She reminds us that even in loss, there can be legacy—and that sometimes, the greatest ships never truly stop sailing.

David Eugene Perry is a maritime historian and lecturer, having visited over 75 countries and every continent except Antarctica (but it’s on the list!). In 1998 / ’99, and again in 2000, Perry “wrote his way around the world” as a junior officer aboard “Crystal Symphony” and the editor of their onboard newspaper, “Reflections.”  He is the author of the award-winning novel “Upon This Rock”, now in its second printing, and in screenplay development. He is currently working on its sequel, “Thorns of the 15 Roses”, which takes place in the small Andalusían town of Grazalema and also aboard ship. When not at sea, Perry and his husband, Alfredo Casuso, run a Communications and Design Firm. They make their home in Palm Springs, with frequent visits to San Francisco, Italy and Spain. They have been presenting their “LinerLore” series of maritime history presentations for 26 years.  www.davidperry.com 

An Open Letter to Mayor Daniel LurieRe: Renaming San Francisco International Airport in Honor of Nancy Pelosi

Dear Mayor Lurie:

Firstly, congratulations and thank you for your kind and appropriate words about Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Few names are as synonymous with San Francisco’s values, vision, and voice as hers. For decades, she has embodied the very ideals that define our City by the Bay — compassion, courage, and an unyielding belief in equality and progress.

In a city that has long been a haven for the L.G.B.T.Q. community, Speaker Pelosi devoted herself to advancing gay rights and confronting the AIDS epidemic that devastated our neighborhoods. Among her enduring legacies is the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park, a place of remembrance and renewal that she helped bring to life. Through her decades of public service — from the streets of North Beach to the halls of Congress — she has always represented truly “San Francisco values”: compassion, courage, and pragmatism in service to both. And, of course, without her vision and leadership we would not have the Presidio to enjoy as an incomparable public space.

It is time we honor her — in her lifetime— with a gesture equal to her impact: renaming San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in her honor.

Nancy Pelosi International Airport would stand as a fitting tribute to a leader who has carried San Francisco’s spirit to the world. For travelers arriving and departing, her name would signal the city’s enduring commitment to justice, inclusion, and humanity.

There is precedent for such a present day homage. The official SF Bay Bridge bears the name of former California Speaker and SF Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr and San Jose’s Airport was named in honor of Norman Y. Mineta while he was still alive. 

At the same time, we must also acknowledge the profound contributions of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, whose steady leadership, august career and grace under pressure helped define San Francisco’s resilience and growth for generations. If consensus favors a broader commemoration, then Feinstein–Pelosi International Airport would serve beautifully — two progressive, pioneering women, side by side, representing the best of our city and our nation — a country whose population is over half by percentage women.

Together, their names would mark the gateway to a place they both loved deeply — San Francisco — and remind all who pass through that ours is a city built by strong women, guided by empathy, and forever proud of its legacy of leadership.

Respectfully,

David Eugene Perry
San Francisco