The Butterfly Man

Robert Nelson's performances at
PIER 39 in the 1970s and 1980s
inspired a generation of street
performers in San Francisco and
around the world.

The Butterfly Man, as he was
known, was brash, hilarious and
always kept the audience laughing.

"How can you count
or know the amount
or the value of a man?
By the dhow displayed
of the beauty made
by the touch of the juggler's hands."

Robert Nelson
The Butterfly Man
September 16, 1949 - August 27, 2012