The 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (also known as the PPIE or World’s Fair)
was a pivotal event in San Francisco's history. Spanning over 600 acres and running for almost nine months, it was an event so large and complex that it is inconceivable that it really occurred. Nothing seemed impossible for this fair. For three years, workers pumped
out water and filled in the marshlands of Harbor View (now the Marina District) to create a
suitable location. Once constructed, it had everything a person could imagine. As the National Park Service describes, “a single person could have spent 24 hours a day at the expo - every day the expo was open - and still not have seen it all.”
was a pivotal event in San Francisco's history. Spanning over 600 acres and running for almost nine months, it was an event so large and complex that it is inconceivable that it really occurred. Nothing seemed impossible for this fair. For three years, workers pumped
out water and filled in the marshlands of Harbor View (now the Marina District) to create a
suitable location. Once constructed, it had everything a person could imagine. As the National Park Service describes, “a single person could have spent 24 hours a day at the expo - every day the expo was open - and still not have seen it all.”
The 1915 Worlds Fair announced the West’s presence as part of the United States in the grandest way. Although California had been a state for 65 years, it was still considered an outpost to those on the East Coast. With the opening of the Panama Canal, travel distance from Boston to San Francisco was reduced by eight thousand miles. San Francisco could also show how it had rebuilt from the 1906 earthquake and truly was the Jewel City of the World. For me, the PPIE is a crystal clear snapshot of the early 20th century. It lavishly displayed the achievements, the social issues, and the biases of the time. As unpleasant as it is to read now, the exposition’s central theme was to highlight the United States’ successful westward expansion and defeat of the natives. The states in between were in their infancy with Arizona and New Mexico only being states for three years. Manifest Destiny had been achieved. Even though war was beginning to brew in Europe, fair attendees came from around the world by train, boat, and car. This was the first time a parking lot was included in the design for a fair. People could get around the fair using miniature trains, trolleys, or electriquettes, battery powered electric chairs. San Francisco was an affordable town in those days. You could stay in a hotel for $1.50 (with bath). Houses were selling for about $3,000. You just have to remember that you only earned about $1,200 a year. |
The fair was a who’s who of the 1900s. Maria Montessori attended to discuss her new educational ideas. While there, she might have run into Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, Helen Keller, Charlie Chaplin, or Buffalo Bill Cody to name a few others. Ansel Adams, who was a teenager, attended the PPIE with his camera instead of going to school for the year. He is credited with taking his first photograph at this event.
Exposition halls were created to meet all types of curiosities. Many states had their own buildings to highlight their uniqueness. The Liberty Bell was even brought across the country by train to be displayed in the Pennsylvania Pavilion. There were also grand palaces showcasing all the latest ideas in art, science, education, food, transportation,
and many more. Attendees could sample JellO, see a Ford car being made at an assembly plant, look at artwork that had traveled from all over the world, or watch mail being sorted by a machine instead of a person. The first cross country phone call was made. Grain was milled into flour. Levi’s coveralls were sewn. Airplanes performed stunts over the bay and automobiles raced around the track. A 15 foot tall working typewriter encouraged attendees to see “the machine you will eventually buy”. The evenings highlighted the broad use of electricity with nightly light shows, something we definitely take for granted now.
Exposition halls were created to meet all types of curiosities. Many states had their own buildings to highlight their uniqueness. The Liberty Bell was even brought across the country by train to be displayed in the Pennsylvania Pavilion. There were also grand palaces showcasing all the latest ideas in art, science, education, food, transportation,
and many more. Attendees could sample JellO, see a Ford car being made at an assembly plant, look at artwork that had traveled from all over the world, or watch mail being sorted by a machine instead of a person. The first cross country phone call was made. Grain was milled into flour. Levi’s coveralls were sewn. Airplanes performed stunts over the bay and automobiles raced around the track. A 15 foot tall working typewriter encouraged attendees to see “the machine you will eventually buy”. The evenings highlighted the broad use of electricity with nightly light shows, something we definitely take for granted now.
The fair was an excellent place to promote social issues. People were fighting to ban children from being the labor in factories. Others were stating the merits of banning of alcohol (Prohibition) Women were still five years away from having the right to vote so the
suffragettes were actively seeking support from attendees. That's something that's hard to imagine now.
suffragettes were actively seeking support from attendees. That's something that's hard to imagine now.
What is now Ft. Mason became the Joy Zone. This was the playground for everyone.Some of attractions were amazing such as a five acre replica Panama Canal (complete with locks) or the equally sized Grand Canyon. Much like Las Vegas is now, attendees could watch “Old Faithful erupt” or go on a “submarine” ride. They could end their days with a snack from Ghiradelli’s chocolate shop. In many instances, what seemed like a good idea at the time might seem a little crazy now. For example, people could visit a sample mineshaft and watch it “explode”. Cool to see but not when you realize thousands of miners were perishing this way regularly. Babies born too early were displayed in their incubators for the passing public too. Then exhibits moved from surreal to plain disturbing when looked at with modern eyes. Racial stereotypes were magnified and put on display. There was the Underground Chinatown which looked like an opium (drug) den. Even worse were the exhibitions of people. These were the“ethnic villages” with communities from Samoa and the Philippines. The purpose was to “educate” the world about different cultures, but in reality these people were showcased as displays. Viewers could watch them “living life” much as one watches an animal at the zoo. Native Americans tribes also participated even when they had lost their land and could not become U.S. citizens. In a time period filled with so much discrimination, I doubt these exhibits promoted cultural awareness. Thankfully, they proved to be some of the least successful events at the fair. |
World Fairs still exist although I doubt they have the same impact as those held a hundred
years ago. The gathering of so much information, entertainment, and culture in one place
isn’t the novelty it would have been in the 1900s. Among other things, the arrival of the commercial airplane and the availability of the Internet has changed our world forever.
years ago. The gathering of so much information, entertainment, and culture in one place
isn’t the novelty it would have been in the 1900s. Among other things, the arrival of the commercial airplane and the availability of the Internet has changed our world forever.