The unbelievable tale of San Francisco's bullfighting bar owner

"“The Barnaby Conrad opus that I found had been tucked away in storage for a couple decades or more,” said Charles Linder, curator of American Messenger, of the found works on display. “It was just a neat feeling, like you're glimpsing the past history of the city.”"

"“Born in San Francisco in 1922, Conrad moved to Mexico City to study painting at age 19. While attending a bullfight, he jumped into the ring, used his Brooks Brothers raincoat as a cape and ‘barely escaped’ the bull, according to the New York Times. He went on to train with a famous bullfighter, getting gored during his first session with a live bull. He healed up in time to return to the U.S. to complete his studies at Yale, but his bullfighting career was just beginning.”"

"“He next made his way to Spain, where he served as the American vice consul and studied under famed matador Juan Belmonte. He would go on to participate in 47 fights and kill 35 bulls, being falsely reported dead in the ring on more than one occasion, and become the first American to have fought in Spain, Mexico and Peru.”"

"“Conrad's experiences in the ring gave verisimilitude to a novel he wrote called ‘Matador,’ published in 1952, which John Steinbeck called his favorite book of the year. It would go on to sell more than 2 million copies, earning him nearly $100,000 in its”"

Dozens of patrons ate dumplings and watched a Lion Dance performance at the American Messenger art gallery at Ninth and Folsom. A large 1953 self-portrait by Barnaby Conrad Jr. hung as the centerpiece, showing Conrad alongside about a dozen tastefully posed nude women. The work had been stored for decades before being found for display. Conrad was born in San Francisco in 1922, studied painting in Mexico City, and began bullfighting after jumping into a ring. He trained with a famous bullfighter, was gored, healed, and later studied in Spain under matador Juan Belmonte. He fought 47 times, killed 35 bulls, and later wrote the novel Matador, which sold over two million copies and earned him nearly $100,000.

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