Last month, I had the pleasure of attending Cathy Maloney's presentation about world's fair gardens. Appropriately, she's the author of the book World's Fair Gardens. The event took place at the Walt Disney Family Museum, located in San Francisco's Presidio, adjacent to the site of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
There, I met Laura Ackley. She's currently doing research on a book about the 1915 world's fair in time for its centennial in 2015.
For more information about her efforts, visit SF1915.com.
Showing posts with label San Francisco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco. Show all posts
18 June 2013
The Current State of World's Fairs in the United States
In my second article in the Bureau International des Expositions' blog, I talk about the current state of world's fairs in the United States.
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/bie-blog/entry/the-current-state-of-expos-in-north-america
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/bie-blog/entry/the-current-state-of-expos-in-north-america
18 September 2011
Treasure Island Museum
This weekend, I had the opportunity to volunteer with the Treasure Island Museum Association. They had a booth at this year's Dragon Boat Races, so I got to meet and hang out with board member Walt Bilofsky as well as others with a passion for the island and the world's fair.
Here in San Francisco, we have some really great institutions. When I first moved here in 1995, I was eager to check out all three world's fair sites: the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park (site of the 1894 California Mid-Winter Exposition), the Marina and the Palace of Fine Arts (the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition), and Treasure Island (the 1939-'40 Golden Gate International Exposition).
My first stop at Treasure Island was to the Treasure Island Museum, which chronicled the history of the island from its creation in the late 1930's (it's all landfill!), to it's role hosting the GGIE, and to its subsequent use as a naval base. Sadly, when the Navy moved out in 1997, the museum closed with it since the US Navy owned the artifacts. However, the Treasure Island Museum Association lives on.
With the imminent handover of the island from the Navy to the City and County of San Francisco, the island is slaved to be completely redeveloped. Along with that are plans to re-open the Treasure Island Museum as an event greater institution.
Click here to find out more about the Treasure Island Museum Association.
Here in San Francisco, we have some really great institutions. When I first moved here in 1995, I was eager to check out all three world's fair sites: the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park (site of the 1894 California Mid-Winter Exposition), the Marina and the Palace of Fine Arts (the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition), and Treasure Island (the 1939-'40 Golden Gate International Exposition).
My first stop at Treasure Island was to the Treasure Island Museum, which chronicled the history of the island from its creation in the late 1930's (it's all landfill!), to it's role hosting the GGIE, and to its subsequent use as a naval base. Sadly, when the Navy moved out in 1997, the museum closed with it since the US Navy owned the artifacts. However, the Treasure Island Museum Association lives on.
With the imminent handover of the island from the Navy to the City and County of San Francisco, the island is slaved to be completely redeveloped. Along with that are plans to re-open the Treasure Island Museum as an event greater institution.
Click here to find out more about the Treasure Island Museum Association.
14 September 2010
The World's Fair Podcast, Episode 17: Who Will Host Expo 2020?
Episode 17 of the World's Fair Podcast is now up. Who will host Expo 2020? Urso and John talk about the various cities that might be bidding in 2011 or 2012 for the right to host the next large world's fair after Milan's Expo 2020.
ExpoBids.com - with links to various news stories
Expo2020USA.com
Expo2020.us
LAExpo2020.org
2020WorldsFair.com
Listen to this podcast.
Subscribe to this podcast.
08 September 2010
Schwarzenegger calling for the San Francisco Bay Area to host a world's fair in 2020
California's governor is in Shanghai calling for the San Francisco Bay Area to host Expo 2020, the next BIE-sanctioned world's fair after Milan's Expo 2015:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/08/BA7F1FA33H.DTL
This is fantastic news. This would mean we'd have both Democrats and Republicans supporting the effort.
I think we might just have at least two or three credible bids by United States cities for a world's fair in 2020.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/08/BA7F1FA33H.DTL
This is fantastic news. This would mean we'd have both Democrats and Republicans supporting the effort.
I think we might just have at least two or three credible bids by United States cities for a world's fair in 2020.
25 August 2009
Interview on San Francisco Public Access Television
Tonight, I will be interviewed on the topic of world's fairs by Peter Camarda on San Francisco Public Access Channel 2 (Comcast 76, Astound 30) at 6:30 p.m.
In addition to it being seen locally, it will be available for live viewing on their web site:
http://www.accessf.org/stream.php?stream=2
I understand there will a call-in portion of the show for people to ask questions.
In addition to it being seen locally, it will be available for live viewing on their web site:
http://www.accessf.org/stream.php?stream=2
I understand there will a call-in portion of the show for people to ask questions.
19 February 2009
Wall Street Journal Article: the United States and World's Fairs Today
The Wall Street Journal today published an article on page one entitled The U.S. Can't Host a World Expo, and Fans Say That's No Fair. The author talked to me about many of these issues and I'm even mentioned in the article. ExpoMuseum was used as a source for some of the interactive graphics.
It's great that these issues are getting this level of attention. However, there are many different issues related to world's fairs here and for a lay audience, it's easy to get them confused.
Issue 1: The United States Pavilion at Expo 2010
I've spoken of this before and I have some hope that there will be a U.S. National Pavilion in Shanghai. We're way behind schedule on this with some pavilions already under construction. I'm hoping a way will be found to fully fund the pavilion soon. It would be a great embarrassment for my country to be unrepresented among nearly 200 other countries. I've written about this issue before. In the interest of full disclosure, I am an unpaid member of the BH&L Group's advisory board.
Issue 2: United States Membership in the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE)
I'm glad to see this issue mentioned in the press so soon after the end of the Bush Administration. I'm hoping, years from now, our lapse in membership will be seen as an historical blip. It's a lot easier to unjoin than join, however. My understanding is that it will mean a new treaty. I created the web site USA-BIE.org to spotlight this issue.
Issue 3: A United States City Hosting a World's Fair
It's been unclear to me for a few years now whether a United States city can host an international exposition without the United States being a member of the BIE. I think, technically, it can, but it would certainly make it more difficult for a bidding city to win. One issue that wasn't brought up was that of a North American city bidding (and winning) the right to host an expo. Queretaro, Mexico bid for Expo 2010 and it seems likely that a Canadian city will bid for Expo 2017. I think a Canadian or Mexican world's fair would certainly stoke interest in the United States.
I see San Francisco as being particularly well suited to hosting a world's fair in the coming years. To that end, I created 2020WorldsFair.com to stoke interest and start a conversation. The article might give the impression that I've received little interest in a world's fair here, but to be completely honest, bidding for 2020 wouldn't begin until around 2011 at the earliest. Politics can change very quickly in this town and it's unclear who the political and economic players will be in the next 2, 5, or 11 years.
Reading some of the comments to this article, as well as comments I've read elsewhere, it seems clear to me that most of the United States audience that does know about world's fairs, sees them as mostly through the lens of nostalgia. A world's fair in our own times would be totally unlike one from the '60's... which were different from the '30's... which were different from the 19th Century.
Many things have changed in the last few decades. The Olympics, museums, theme parks, and live entertainment have all changed with the times and are all seen as just as relevant today as they were years ago. International expositions, as a medium, combine these and more. Arguments that we don't "need" world's fairs now that we have the internet and jet travel just don't stand up to scrutiny when you look at other mediums such as these. If people no longer liked to experience things in person, we would have seen a decline in museum visits, theme park visit, or live entertainment attendance in the last few decades.
It's great that these issues are getting this level of attention. However, there are many different issues related to world's fairs here and for a lay audience, it's easy to get them confused.
Issue 1: The United States Pavilion at Expo 2010
I've spoken of this before and I have some hope that there will be a U.S. National Pavilion in Shanghai. We're way behind schedule on this with some pavilions already under construction. I'm hoping a way will be found to fully fund the pavilion soon. It would be a great embarrassment for my country to be unrepresented among nearly 200 other countries. I've written about this issue before. In the interest of full disclosure, I am an unpaid member of the BH&L Group's advisory board.
Issue 2: United States Membership in the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE)
I'm glad to see this issue mentioned in the press so soon after the end of the Bush Administration. I'm hoping, years from now, our lapse in membership will be seen as an historical blip. It's a lot easier to unjoin than join, however. My understanding is that it will mean a new treaty. I created the web site USA-BIE.org to spotlight this issue.
Issue 3: A United States City Hosting a World's Fair
It's been unclear to me for a few years now whether a United States city can host an international exposition without the United States being a member of the BIE. I think, technically, it can, but it would certainly make it more difficult for a bidding city to win. One issue that wasn't brought up was that of a North American city bidding (and winning) the right to host an expo. Queretaro, Mexico bid for Expo 2010 and it seems likely that a Canadian city will bid for Expo 2017. I think a Canadian or Mexican world's fair would certainly stoke interest in the United States.
I see San Francisco as being particularly well suited to hosting a world's fair in the coming years. To that end, I created 2020WorldsFair.com to stoke interest and start a conversation. The article might give the impression that I've received little interest in a world's fair here, but to be completely honest, bidding for 2020 wouldn't begin until around 2011 at the earliest. Politics can change very quickly in this town and it's unclear who the political and economic players will be in the next 2, 5, or 11 years.
Reading some of the comments to this article, as well as comments I've read elsewhere, it seems clear to me that most of the United States audience that does know about world's fairs, sees them as mostly through the lens of nostalgia. A world's fair in our own times would be totally unlike one from the '60's... which were different from the '30's... which were different from the 19th Century.
Many things have changed in the last few decades. The Olympics, museums, theme parks, and live entertainment have all changed with the times and are all seen as just as relevant today as they were years ago. International expositions, as a medium, combine these and more. Arguments that we don't "need" world's fairs now that we have the internet and jet travel just don't stand up to scrutiny when you look at other mediums such as these. If people no longer liked to experience things in person, we would have seen a decline in museum visits, theme park visit, or live entertainment attendance in the last few decades.
18 February 2009
70th Anniversary of the Golden Gate International Exposition
In 1939 and 1940, the years most known for New York's world's fair, San Francisco also hosted a large exposition on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. It was San Francisco's third and last (so far) international exposition.
Today's San Francisco Chronicle has an article today about the exposition with some photos:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/17/BAB415T0KF.DTL
This Saturday, the Treasure Island Museum Association is hosting a Treasure Island History Day from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., complete with walking tours, slide and video shows, and memorabilia:
TreasureIslandMuseum.org
Today's San Francisco Chronicle has an article today about the exposition with some photos:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/17/BAB415T0KF.DTL
This Saturday, the Treasure Island Museum Association is hosting a Treasure Island History Day from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., complete with walking tours, slide and video shows, and memorabilia:
TreasureIslandMuseum.org
29 January 2009
1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition Photos
Tuesday's San Francisco Chronicle featured a wonderful gallery of 22 photos from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/27/BAQ815E1HG.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/27/BAQ815E1HG.DTL
02 November 2007
Small Moments - Expo 98 Philippines Pavilion
We usually think of world's fairs as collections of large grandiose events, but talking with colleagues recently, I found myself reminiscing about some of the smaller, impromptu interactions I've had at various pavilions.
I've discovered, when visiting world's fairs in countries where the primary language isn't English, that English speakers get noticed, particularly since many pavilion hosts are perhaps more familiar with English than they are with the local language.
I suspect this was the case when we visited the Philippines Pavilion at Expo 98 in Lisbon, Portugal. Waiting to enter, a staff member approached us asking where we were from. I replied "San Francisco," knowing that I usually get a very positive response. Everyone loves San Francisco, after all.
Her eyes lit up and she responded that she'd "always wanted to visit... Daly City!" This was the first time I've ever gotten this particular reaction, but understandable since Daly City is known for it's large Filipino population.
Daly City is one of the few communities in the United States with a population mostly of Asian descent, but most San Franciscans think of it as an inner suburb with lots of free parking and chain stores.
In many ways, it was a wonderful reminder that living in multi-cultural city like San Francisco can be like living in a world's fair itself.
I've discovered, when visiting world's fairs in countries where the primary language isn't English, that English speakers get noticed, particularly since many pavilion hosts are perhaps more familiar with English than they are with the local language.
I suspect this was the case when we visited the Philippines Pavilion at Expo 98 in Lisbon, Portugal. Waiting to enter, a staff member approached us asking where we were from. I replied "San Francisco," knowing that I usually get a very positive response. Everyone loves San Francisco, after all.
Her eyes lit up and she responded that she'd "always wanted to visit... Daly City!" This was the first time I've ever gotten this particular reaction, but understandable since Daly City is known for it's large Filipino population.
Daly City is one of the few communities in the United States with a population mostly of Asian descent, but most San Franciscans think of it as an inner suburb with lots of free parking and chain stores.
In many ways, it was a wonderful reminder that living in multi-cultural city like San Francisco can be like living in a world's fair itself.
15 May 2007
City Participation at Expo 2010
China Economic Net published an article today entitled "Cities to strut their stuff at World Expo" announcing that cities will have the opportunity to participate in Expo 2010.
I think this might be an excellent opportunity for San Francisco given its sister city relationship with Shanghai. I've previously created a web site (SFPavilion.com) that proposed something similar.
At Expo 70 in Osaka, San Francisco hosted a pavilion as a result of its sister city relationship with Osaka.
I think this might be an excellent opportunity for San Francisco given its sister city relationship with Shanghai. I've previously created a web site (SFPavilion.com) that proposed something similar.
At Expo 70 in Osaka, San Francisco hosted a pavilion as a result of its sister city relationship with Osaka.
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