Part 1 (1/2)

The City of Domes

by John D Barry

Preface

In the inally published in the San FrancisobLLETIN It includes rounds and froanization and the building and ornaives an account of the develop done, noas the doing of the thing, the play of the forces behind Even in the talk with the architect, where the finished Exposition itself is discussed, I have tried to keep in mind those forces, and wherever I could to indicate their play

The dialogue forives scope for more than one kind of opinion; and it deals with the subject as we all do, ith one friend or rounds It has been ood fortune to he able to see the Exposition from points of view very different frolad to pass on the advantage

The Exposition is generally acknowledged to be an achievement unprecedented Merely to write about it and to try to convey a sense of its quality is a privilege I have valued it all the more because I know that many people, not trained into relate themselves to the expression here, to understand it and to feel it in all its hearings If, at times, directly or in indirectly, I have been critical, the reason is that I wished, in so far as I could, to persuade visitors not to s the Exposition whole, but to think about it for themselves, and to bear in mind that the men behind it, those of today and those of days res exactly like theenuine benefit

Though the volume is mainly devoted to the artistic features associated with the courts and thethe illustrations, pictures of the California Building, both because of its close relation to California and because it is in itself nificent, and of two notable art features, the , and ”The Thinker”, by Rodin, in the court of the French Pavilion

Introduction

The First Steps

In January, 1904, R B Hale of San Francisco wrote to his fellow-directors of the Merchants' association, that, in 1915, San Francisco ought to hold an exposition to celebrate the opening of the Pana of the St Louis Exposition, soon to begin, Mr Hale found a model for his plan Five million dollars should be raised by popular subscription, five million dollars should be asked from the State, and five million dollars should be provided by city bonds

The idea was promptly endorsed by the business associations

Froovernors It was decided that the exposition should be held, and for into Congress a bill that provided for an appropriation of five million dollars The bill was not acted on, and it was allowed to die at the end of the session

Soon after fored the date from, 1915 to 1913, to make it coincide with the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery by Balboa of the Pacific

In 1906 came the earthquake and fire The next few years San Franciscans were busy clearing away the debris and rebuilding It was predicted that the city ht not recover in less than twenty-five years

Nevertheless, in Dece was held in the shack that served for the St Francis Hotel, and the Pacific Ocean Exposition Company was incorporated

In three years the city recovered sufficiently to hold a week's festival, the Portola, and to make it a success