San Francisco Couple Finds Mysterious 150-Pound Sculpture in Backyard

While gardening in his backyard in Russian Hill, San Francisco, 65-year-old landscape contractor Greg Gatwood unearthed a 150-pound limestone bust of a woman in May 2026. The sculpture, which measures 22 inches in width, 18 inches in height, and 10 inches in depth, features the head and neck of a woman. Gatwood, along with his partner, painter Judy Gittelsohn, is on a quest to identify the artist, having reached out to nearly 50 individuals without success. One hypothesis connects the bust to Ralph Stackpole, a notable sculptor from the early 20th century. Historian Anne Schnoebelen points out its resemblance to faces from the 1939–40 Golden Gate International Exposition, suggesting former students Adaline Kent and Helen Phillips as potential artists. Gatwood intends to display the sculpture in their garden.