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.)
North Panel: "Physical Courage" or "Awakening of War Spirit." Two men
fight for possession of woman on left. Woman on right attempts to draw
one aside.
East Panel: "Lesson of Life." Old woman gives counsel to young man and
woman. Old man restrains an angry, jealous youth.
Right of south panel, "Lust."
East side of southern group: Greed, looking back on earth. Faith
offering Immortality, symbolized by scarab, to Woman. Figures of man and
woman sinking back into oblivion, "Sorrow" and "Sleep." Hand of Destiny
drawing mortality to itself.
Hermae, pillars with head of Hermes, god of boundaries, separating
panels around earth.
Reptilian and fishy forms above panels of central mass of fountain.
Corridors, walls red, blue vault above, arches of smoked ivory, lines of
blue on wall. Illumination by half-globes in cups on inner side of
columns.
Murals, by Frank Brangwyn, of London, representing Elements. Best placed
of all murals. At corners of court in corridors.
Northeast corner, "Fire." "Primitive Fire," figures around fire nursing
it, or feeding it. "Industrial Fire," use of fire in service of man.
Southeast corner, "Water": Fishermen dragging in net, carriers with
baskets on backs, "The Net." Women and men filling jars at a spring,
flamingoes in water, luxuriant growth, clouds, "The Fountain."
Southwest corner, "Air": Men shooting arrows through trees, birds in
flight, "The Hunters." Huge mill, children flying kites, clouds, grain
blown by wind, "The Windmill."
Northwest corner, "Earth": Men high in trees and on ground, "The Fruit
Pickers." Figures crushing juice out with feet, group in front with
wine, "The Dancing of the Grapes."
Planting in Court: Tall Italian cypress before arches; orange trees;
balled acacia; denseness of growth along colonnades; heavy and rank,
suggesting tropical flora.
Large cauldrons, at side of steps leading down to sunken gardens,
designed by Mullgardt.
North Entrance to Court of Ages
"Daughter of Neptune" or "Aquatic Life," large female figure in north
Court of Ages, by Sherry E. Fry.
Planting: eucalyptus, acacia, laurel.
Features that Ought to be in Noted by Night
Illumination
Three kinds of light used; white arc lamps, extensively behind banners
and shields to flood facades of outer walls and Court of Four Seasons;
warmer light of Mazda lamps in clear and colored globes; and
searchlights concealed on tops of buildings trained on towers and on
high groups of sculpture.
Lighting scheme and scope completed long before buildings were up; made
possible by advance in illuminating engineering, developed under name of
science of lighting and art of illumination.
Chief of Department of Illumination, Walter D'Arcy Ryan, of the General
Electric Company, Schenectady, New York; field assistant, A. F.
Dickerson.
Ornamental details of lighting standards and fixtures, designed by J. W.
Gosling; designs made at Illuminating Engineering Laboratories,
Schenectady.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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