Oh what a time WE HAD AT THE FAIR

On February 20, 1915 the Panama-Pacific International Exposition opened in San Francisco to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal and the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Pacific Ocean by Balboa. Nine years after the horrific earthquake and fire of 1906 the city put on a Worlds Fair. The fair was built in the area now known as the Marina District, the same area that suffered so much damage in the 1986 quake.

As you can see from this advertisement, found in an issue of The Country Gentleman, the fair was not just a regional event. People came from all over the United States to see this. Try to imagine leaving your farm in the Midwest and traveling across country in the winter to the edge of the continent to see all of this. I can only imagine the stories people took home about their exotic adventure in California.

Click on image to see it larger.

The only building left from the great Exposition is the Palace of Fine Arts. None of what was built was meant to be permanent so the fact that this still exists is a wonder. Below you will find a few post cards from the exposition. And if you'd like to really read about click here for a wonderful site all about the Exposition.

PALACE OF EDUCATION

SECTION OF COURT OF ABUNDANCE, SHOWING TOWER OF JEWELS AND ARCH OF THE RISING SUN, THE FOUNTAIN OF EARTH IN THE FOREGROUND.  

COURT OF ABUNDANCE AND MULGARDT'S TOWER  

"THE INDIAN"

STATUE "END OF THE TRAIL"  

TOWER OF JEWELS

ILLUMINATION OF COURT OF ABUNDANCE  

Click here to read more about the architecture of the Exposition. And click here to see some photos from the San Francisco Chronicle in black and white.