Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)
Because its exhibits are eloquent of the resources of the great young
country, the Pavilion has been described aptly as "the shop window of
the Commonwealth." The building is, in fact, a huge sample room; and
although the large states only, New South Wales, Victoria and
Queensland, provided the display, each section is adequately
representative of all Australia produces. Tropical fruits and other
products from the northeast combine with the horticultural and
agricultural products of the temperate zone. Minerals from the rich
fields of all the states are grouped. The opals and gems from White
Cliffs and Lightning Ridge in New South Wales vie with other precious
stones from Queensland in forming one of the great attractions. Handsome
building stones, including exceptional marble, are side by side with
samples of the world-famous hardwoods and the scarcely known but
beautiful cabinet woods from the Australian forest, while the pastoral
areas have provided wonderful collections of wool, leathers, meat and
by-products. The agricultural exhibits have attracted much attention,
and were so arranged as to show the productiveness of irrigated areas as
well as of the country generally. Carefully prepared literature,
distributed liberally, has been a feature of the efforts of the
Australians. The commissioners have made it their boast that nothing has
been exaggerated; everything is "real." Even art critics who visit the
pavilion will not be disappointed, for on the walls they will find many
paintings of merit by Australian artists, including loan collections
from the National Gallery of New South Wales and the Victorian Art
Society.
The Australian exhibits, unlike those of most other countries, have been
grouped in this building, instead of being shown in the various
Exposition palaces.
Bolivia.--Bolivia has erected one of the most essentially national
pavilions at the Exposition, an admirable building that expresses
equally the two elements of its population, the Spanish and the Indian.
The building is Spanish in its solid rectangular plan; its entrance is
copied from the portal of the Church of San Lorenzo, and its central
patio fashioned after that of the old mint at Potosi. It is Indian in
the curious carved work of the facade and the monoliths flanking the
entrance, both being exact copies of ceremonial temple stones from the
lake region of Bolivia. The building was designed by Dr. Calderon of the
Bolivian Commission and Albert Farr of San Francisco.
Tropical plants and fruits are shown in the brick-paved patio. The rooms
in the interior include a moving-picture theater, an art gallery and
museum, with pictures by Bolivian artists, and relics of the
civilization of the Incas. The national exhibits are shown in the
Exposition palaces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account