The City of Domes : a walk with an architect about the courts and palaces of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, with a discussion of its architecture, its sculpture, its mural decorations, its coloring and its lighting, preceded by a history of its growthBarry, John D. (John Daniel)
History
The City of Domes : a walk with an architect about the courts and palaces of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, with a discussion of its architecture, its sculpture, its mural decorations, its coloring and its lighting, preceded by a history of its growth
Barry, John D. (John Daniel)
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)
West wall, magnificent; facing Palace of Fine Arts, broken by Aisle of
Spring, and two large Roman half-domes in Palace of Food Products and
Palace of Education.
Palaces facing avenue: from north to south, Food Products and Education;
across lagoon, Fine Arts.
Greenery and niches in pink and blue prevent wall from being monotonous.
"Dome of Plenty," in Palace of Food Products, harmonizes with half-dome
in Court of Four Seasons.
Fountain in dome; elaborate; Sienna design.
Man with oak wreath, repeated eight times above columns in portal
representing strength, by Earl Cummings.
Great columns of imitation Sienna on either side of portal, surmounted
by "Physical Vigor," by Ralph Stackpole.
Niches along wall, archaeological figures, by Charles Harley, of
Philadelphia. "Triumph of the Field," man with harvest symbols,
alternating with "Abundance," woman with horn of plenty.
Half-dome of Palace of Education, "Dome of Philosophy." Architecture as
in "Dome of Plenty." Charm of background, ornamented ceiling, Corinthian
columns with acanthus leaves.
Over doorways, beautiful use of stained glass.
Female figure repeated eight times above inner columns, by Albert
Weinert; carries books; "Ex Libris," representing education.
Statue by Stackpole surmounting Sienna columns, reversed duplicate of
figure before "Dome of Plenty," with different name, "Thought." Really
represents vigorous man thinking.
Figures in niches repeated.
Roman fountain, "Dome of Philosophy," by Faville; simplest and one of
the most beautiful of the fountains on grounds. Suggested by fountains
in Sienna and Ravenna.
Palace of Fine Arts
Palace of Fine Arts, Bernard R. Maybeck, of San Francisco. Conception
inspired by Boecklin's painting, "The Island of the Dead." Rotunda like
Pantheon in Rome. Colonnade suggested by Gerome's "Chariot Race."
Columns at end of colonnade, hint of Forum. Greek suggestion in
Corinthian columns and fretwork and frieze around rotunda. Roof garden
or pergola around edge of roof and the Egyptian red of wall gives
Egyptian note. Suggestion of overgrown ruin; atmosphere of melancholy
beauty. Originality of architectural design and treatment.
Curved hedge, obscuring view of floor of rotunda from opposite side of
lagoon, by John McLaren. African dew plant, as in south hedge. Laurels
and willows were originally planned to cover hedge and to reach to top
of columns. Monterey cypress at north end of colonnade.
Kneeling figure on altar directly in front of rotunda, "Reverence," by
Ralph Stackpole. Can be seen from across pool only.
Altar rock, planting grown down over edge gives effect of draped altar
cloth.
Frieze on altar rock, below kneeling figure, by Bruno Louis Zimm, of New
York. Represents "Source of Genius." In center, Genius; to left and
right, mortals seeking to approach genius; lions guard the youth. Seen
from across lagoon only.
Panels on exterior of rotunda just below dome, by Zimm, representing
progress and influence of art.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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