The Journal of San Diego History
SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
Winter 1990, Volume 36, Number 1
Thomas L. Scharf, Editor
Back to the article: Making of the Panama-California Exposition
The 1915 exposition’s proposed coat-of-arms.
Real estate developer Col. D.C. Collier was made Director-General of the 1915 exposition.
Ulysses S. Grant Jr. was selected to be the president of the Panama-California Exposition Co.
John D. Spreckels, San Diego developer, was appointed first vice president of the exposition company
Joseph W. Sefton, Jr. served as acting Director-General during Col. Collier’s absence.
The empty building site for the exposition.
Clarence Stein’s drawing of Bertram Goodhue’s plan for the California Tower.
Groundbreaking for the exposition began on July 19, 1911 with a military mass in a small canyon in Balboa Park.
Several officials took turns loosening the sod with a silver spade.
The altar for the groundbreaking ceremonies.
The Grand Marshall and aides at the groundbreaking parade.
On the first day of the ceremonies Morley Slayton portrayed “King Cabrillo”.
“King Cabrillo” was escorted to the Court House where the newly-crowned “Queen Ramona” awaited him.
The second day of celebration featured floats, like this one representing the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, which paraded down D. Street.
On the third day representatives of industry and fraternal organizations (left and below) put on a parade with fire department wagons and equipment. Image# 89-17802.jpg
The last day of festivities featured a mission pageant depicting each of the twenty-one California missions.
Laying the cornerstone of the California Building.
Exposition construction, c. 1913. Looking east at the intersection of the Plaza de Panama with El Prado. [building left center is Home Economy Building]
View looking east along El Prado with the framework of the California Building tower beginning to rise.
An artisan completing a design for an exposition building facade.
Most exposition buildings, like the Indian Arts Building, were not designed to remain standing after the exposition closed.
The California Building was designed, along with four others, to be permanent.
The interior of the Fine Arts Building displayed vaulting and clerestory windows
, Putti, representing the four arts, adorned a balcony at the east end of the museum.
The magnificent altar of the St. Francis Chapel.
The Japanese tea pavilion was modeled after an ornate temple in Kyoto. Sections of it were made in Japan and then assembled in San Diego.
The Commerce and Industries Building
The east side of the Food and Beverage Building
The Indian Arts Building and tower of the Science of Man Building. x
The rear of the Food and Beverage Building
Advertising piece for the 1915 exposition.
Exposition buildings as they appeared in the late 1920s. Their architecture continues to delight visitors to the present day.