Empress San Francisco : the Pacific Rim, the Great West, and California at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition

384 Pages·2014·101.76 MB·English

by  Markwyn

Empress San Francisco
¶ß

Empress San Francisco
The Pacific Rim, the Great West, and California
at the Panama- Pacific International Exposition
Abigail M. Markwyn
¶ß
University of Nebraska Press ` Lincoln and London
© 2014 by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
Part of chapters 1 and 7 originally appeared in Gendering the Fair:
Histories of Women and Gender at World’s Fairs edited by Tracey
Jean Boisseau and Abigail Markwyn. Copyright 2010 by the
Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Used with permis-
sion of the University of Illinois Press. Part of chapter 4 originally
appeared in “Economic Partner and Exotic Other: China and Japan
at San Francisco’s Panama- Pacific International Exposition,” West-
ern Historical Quarterly 39 (Winter 2008): 439– 65. Copyright by
Western History Association. Reprinted by permission. All rights
reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America.
Publication of this volume was assisted by The Virginia Faulkner
Fund, established in memory of Virginia Faulkner, editor in chief of
the University of Nebraska Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data
Markwyn, Abigail M.
Empress San Francisco: the Pacific Rim, the Great West, and
California at the Panama- Pacific International Exposition /
Abigail M. Markwyn.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978- 0- 8032- 4384- 2 (hardcover: alk. paper)
isbn 978- 0- 8032- 6781- 7 (pdf)
isbn 978- 0- 8032- 6782- 4 (epub)
isbn 978- 0- 8032- 6783- 1 (mobi) 1. Panama- Pacific International
Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.) 2. Group identity—
California— San Francisco— History— 20th century. 3. San
Francisco (Calif.)— Ethnic relations. 4. Chinese Americans—
California— San Francisco— Ethnic identity. 5. Japanese
Americans— California— San Francisco— Ethnic identity.
6. Women— California— San Francisco— Social conditions.
7. San Francisco (Calif.)— Moral conditions. 8. San Francisco
Bay Area (Calif.)— Social life and customs. I. Title.
II. Title: Pacific Rim, the Great West, and California at
the Panama- Pacific International Exposition.
tc781.b1m37 2014 907.4'79461— dc23 2014008053
Set in Arno Pro by Renni Johnson. Designed by A. Shahan.
For my family

Contents
List of Illustrations viii
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. The Spectacle of the Fair 23
2. Uniting San Francisco 63
3. Claiming Their Place 97
4. Economic Partner, Exotic Other 139
5. Sex and Other Vices at the Fair 173
6. Performing Work 205
7. Women Take the Political Stage 227
Epilogue 255
Notes 261
Bibliography 305
Index 321
Illustrations
1. Opening day parade xvi 21. Map of San Francisco showing
2. Second meeting of the PPIE at exposition site 70
Merchants Exchange Building, 22. President Taft breaking
San Francisco 9 ground 73
3. “Logical point” envelope from 23. A Marina home purchased by the
New Orleans 11 exposition 75
4. Board of directors 18 24. Exposition’s construction site 77
5. Phoebe Hearst 21 25. Inside Inn advertisement 86
6. Panorama of the grounds 26 26. Season ticket holder pass 90
7. South Gardens and Tower of 27. Turnstiles at the Fillmore Street
Jewels 27 entrance 91
8. The Court of Palms 29 28. Electric roller chairs 93
9. The Court of the Universe 29 29. Dedication of Swedish
10. Child labor exhibit 30 Building 99
11. Palace of Agriculture and Column 30. German Day 102
of Progress 34 31. Chinese Buildings in the
12. End of the Trail 35 Zone 111
13. The American Pioneer 36 32. Irish Village in the Zone 115
14. Nations of the East 39 33. Luncheon for Italian
commissioner Nathan 120
15. Nations of the West 39
34. African Dip in the Zone 126
16. Pioneer Mother 42
35. Chinese Students’ Day
17. Breaking ground for California
ribbon 130
Building 45
36. Ground-breaking for Japanese
18. The Argentine exhibit in
concession 145
Palace of Education and Social
Economy 51 37. Chinese Building 159
19. “Types of lovely women on the 38. Japanese Gardens 160
Zone” 57 39. Japanese Red Cross exhibit 161
20. Dedication of Hawaiian 40. China Day 162
Building 61 41. Tea Room, Japanese exhibit 163
viii
42. Japan Beautiful exhibit in the Plates
Zone 169
Following page 176
43. California Building 180
1. Aeroplane view, main group of
44. “Woman’s Board Day”
exhibit
celebration 183
2. Map of the fairgrounds
45. The 101 Ranch in the Zone 196
3. “Get Your Congressman to Vote”
46. Diving Girls exhibit in the
postcard
Zone 198
4. “California Welcomes the World”
47. September Morn concession in
postcard
the Zone 199
5. Marriage of Progress and
48. Hon. Hiram Johnson 201
Commerce postcard
49. Old Faithful Inn 212
6. Panama- Pacific International
50. Two Exposition Guards 214 Exposition postcard
51. Interior of guards’ living 7. “Thirteenth Labor of Hercules”
quarters 215 poster
52. Woman’s Party booth 230 8. The South Gardens
53. Sara Bard Field 232 9. Opening day participant badge
54. Mrs. Chen Chi 237 10. Fountain of Energy
55. Suffrage envoy Sara Bard 11. Flower beds and Arch of the West
Field with her driver and
12. Exposition grounds three months
machinist 239
before opening day
56. ywca Building 241
13. Festival Hall
57. Attendees at the International
14. Siam Pavilion
Conference of Women Workers to
15. San Francisco Day ticket
Promote Permanent Peace 248
16. The Scintillator
58. Destruction of the Court of the
17. Palace of Fine Arts illuminated
Universe 256
18. Tower of Jewels and exhibit
59. Palace of Fine Arts 258
palaces illuminated
19. Palace of Liberal Arts and Fountain
of Energy
ix