"These guys are doing the lord's work." —Chuck Prophet
Emperor Norton Trust founder “John Lumea has emerged as the Emperor’s leading spokesman.” —San Francisco Chronicle columnist Carl Nolte
“The boldest efforts to honor the Emperor." —Wall Street Journal
Emperor Norton, c, 1871–72. From a carte de visite by the studio of Tuttle & Johnson, "Heliographic Artists," 523 Kearny Street, San Francisco. Collection of the California Historical Society.
In August 2013, John Lumea launched an online petition (link) to name the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge for Emperor Norton. Six weeks and 4,400 signatures later, Lumea announced the formation of The Emperor's Bridge Campaign to carry forward the call of this petition.
By the end of 2013, the Campaign began to see that the larger need was for an organization with a broader mission to honor the life and advance the full legacy of Joshua Abraham Norton (1818–1880), who declared himself Emperor in 1859.
Over the next six years, the Campaign under John Lumea’s leadership built out this mission with a wide-ranging program of original research, education and advocacy that continues today.
In December 2019, the Campaign adopted a new name that better signals the full range of its activities:
THE EMPEROR NORTON TRUST.
Indeed, even as we remain "on task" in the effort to see a major landmark named after Emperor Norton, our focus has expanded — and sharpened — to include the following goals that are reflected in our work:
Honor the life.
1 >>> Develop the fullest, most accurate historical portrait of Emperor Norton, including:
(a) Highlight those aspects of the Emperor's story that typically don't make it into the popular version of him as a harrumphing but lovable kook in a funny suit and hat — including his far-sighted public calls
against corruption and fraud of all kinds — personal, political and corporate;
for fair and equal treatment of African-Americans, Chinese, Native Americans and women;
against religious sectarianism and for the separation of church and state; and
for fair labor standards.
(b) Conduct and present original research focusing on under-explored aspects of Emperor Norton's story.
(c) Fact-check and, when necessary, challenge undocumented assertions about the Emperor.
2 >>> Become the recognized digital clearinghouse of primary and secondary source material on the Emperor;
Advance the legacy.
3 >>> Track the countless cultural references to Emperor Norton — in media, memoir and elsewhere — during, and since, his lifetime.
4 >>> Maintain a complete record of art, music, theater and other creative efforts that have been inspired by the Emperor; and
5 >>> Nurture public conversations about the ways in which Emperor Norton has been mythologized and (less often) historicized in the generations since his death — and about what the resulting pictures of the Emperor have to say about those who have done the "painting."
The vision of The Emperor Norton Trust is to become recognized and sought as the leading public resource on Emperor Norton.
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To find out more about where The Emperor Norton Trust has been — and where we're headed...
Learn about Emperor Norton.
Check our other Resources — including a gallery of all extant photographs of the Emperor; our interactive Emperor Norton Map of the World; our digital ARchive of Emperor Norton in Art, Music & Film (ARENA); recommendations for further study; and a series of Perspectives from our supporters.
To keep up with the latest from the Trust and to learn how to become involved...
Sign up for our occasional e-newsletter. (Archive of past newsletters.)
Join us on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.
Contact us directly.
Look forward to hearing from you — and seeing you in the mix!