ALAMEDA, Calif. — Johnny Kan (1906-1972) was the father of authentic Cantonese cuisine in America, creating a legacy among restauranteurs that is still felt today. Growing up with American Chinese food such as chop suey, Kan piloted the industry’s shift to genuine Chinese food, served from his flagship, Kan’s Restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown, which opened in 1953.

So famous and popular was Kan’s that it was routinely visited by celebrities from around the world. As was the tradition, visitors would sign the red-and-gold Kan’s autograph book, and in doing so, created a living history of the restaurant’s worldly patrons.

The autographs read like a who’s who of the 20th century: Winston Churchill, Anne Bancroft, Terry Bradshaw, William Shatner, Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, Monty Hall, Jack Cummings, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Groucho Marx, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Goldie Hawn, Gene Wilder, Barbra Streisand, Chevy Chase, Dick Cavett, Michael Douglas, Andy Williams, Francis Ford Coppola, Chuck Woolery, Julia Child, Carl Reiner, Itzak Perlman, Ruth Buzzi, Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds, Shari Lewis and her famed puppet Lamb Chop, Jimmy Stewart, Pat Morita, David Carradine, Lois Maxwell, Hubert Humphrey, Mel Brooks, Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Joe Namath, and many more.

After Kan’s passing in 1972, a new proprietor took over Kan’s Restaurant and somehow the autograph book survived. It was offered at Michaan’s March Gallery Auction on March 15 with a modest $1,200-$1,800 estimate. So beloved is the memory of Kan’s that LiveAuctioneers bidders sent the action into outer space, though the final winning bid of $16,000 ($20,800 with buyer’s premium) came from the floor.