Court of AgesA Vista in the Colonnade
The cloistered effect of the long colonnade surrounding the four sides of the Court of the Ages is deepened by the vaulted ceiling, which, in its Roman simplicity of line, contrasts effectively with the filigreed exterior of the arcade.
The only color in the court, aside from a slight use in the tower and the massed luxuriance of flowers, is found in the corridors where, between the square pilasters, the prevailing old ivory is stained pink of a deeper tone than in the other courts. The ivory pilasters are carried up into the ceiling in curving, transverse arches, while the band of blue, following their edges, leads to the rich blue depths between them. At the far end of every vista glows the riot of color in the mural paintings by Frank Brangwyn. The play of sunlight through the succession of rounded arches increases the sense of bright charm.
Court of AgesThe Tower Through North Aisle
In the North Court of Ages, leading to the Esplanade, the tower is identical with the main court, and the entire architectural treatment, while simpler, is in the same spirit. Robbed of the complex symbolism by which, in the larger court, the evolution of the lower forms of life is depicted, the higher spiritual lesson is here intensified. The sculptured groups in the tower, by Chester A. Beach of San Francisco, represent the rise of humanity through successive ages of civilization. The conventionalized lily petals decorating the summit of the tower suggest the highest forms of plant life. The delicate lace-like finials, rising from the highest points of court and tower alike, express aspiration. The chanticleers on the finials surrounding the court symbolize the dawn of Christianity.
The star-like clusters of lights, raised aloft, two in the main court and four in the north court, deepen the ecclesiastical atmosphere by suggesting the golden monstrance emblematic of the rays of the sun and of the radiating presence of God, and used in the Catholic Church as a receptacle for the sacred host.
Florentine CourtPalace of Transportation
The Florentine Court and the Venetian Court lie east and west respectively of the Court of the Universe. They are sometimes called the Aisles of the Rising and the Setting Sun. While in reality only connecting avenues, the wealth or careful detail lavished upon them makes of them charming interludes between the larger and more imposing courts, and yet so skillfully do they conform to the general plan that they blend one larger court with another, without expressing a distinct individuality of their own. They were planned by W. B. Faville of San Francisco. While identical in design upon three sides, their adaptation upon the fourth side to the courts which they adjoin, east and west, and the variety in landscape effects, insure against exact duplication.
The Florentine Court lies between the Court of Ages and the Court of the Universe, with the Palace of Transportation bounding it on the north and the Palace of Manufactures on the south. Its eastern wall repeats the rich decorative treatment of the Court of Ages, which it joins.
Court of the UniverseThrough Three Great Arches
When one stands in the Court of the Four Seasons, facing east, two splendid arches are seen framed by the Eastern Gateway of the Court. The first, across the Venetian Court, is the Arch of the Setting Sun, surmounted by its symbolic group of the Nations of the West. Across the vast Court of the Universe, beyond the Fountains of the Rising and the Setting Sun, is the triumphal Arch of the Rising Sun surmounted by its symbolic group of the Nations of the East.
These magnificent modern expressions of the arches erected by the old Romans to commemorate their triumphs were designed by McKim, Mead and White, the architects of the Court of the Universe, and are richly adorned with sculpture designed by various artists. In the attics are carved appropriate inscriptions selected by Porter Garnett, which will be found on succeeding pages.
There is an atmosphere of bigness about the Court of the Universe, created not only by the architectural features, but by the symbolism of the final meeting of the Nations of the World, made possible by the completion of the Panama Canal.
Court of the UniverseTriumphal Arch, The Setting Sun
The magnificent mass of the Western Arch is heightened at night by the effective illumination. Shafts of white light from concealed projectors pick out, the sculptured group that surmounts it. The bulk of the arch catches only the rays from minor lamps within the court and upon this shadowy pedestal, the group of the Nations of the West stands out in strong relief. Below, the ceilings of the arch and corridors are brilliant from concealed lights placed within them.
Court of the UniverseTriumphal Arch, The Rising Sun
The triumphal arches which by night gain in majesty and mysterious power, by day have the added beauty of the color manipulation and decorative treatment, which is exceedingly rich and varied.
The twisted columns of Sienna marble which flank the arch, two on either side, are composite, mingling Corinthian and Ionic elements. Each column is crowned with a sculptured figure, representing the "Angel of Peace" by Leo Lentelli. Between the columns, set in a square of deep pink, is a burnt orange medallion, the figures in relief, suggesting Nature and Art, being designed by A. Stirling Calder and B. Bufano.
On either side of the curve of the arch, latticed windows in green give a Moorish touch. The figures in the spandrels, representing Pegasus are by Frederick G. R. Roth. A frieze in relief, bands the arch beneath the inscription, while Cleopatra's needle, four times repeated, gives height and classic emphasis to the crenellated parapet out-lining the summit. The sculptured groups "The Nations of the East" and "The Nations of the West" are the joint work of A. Stirling Calder, Frederick G. R. Roth and Leo Lentelli.
Court of the UniverseFountain of the Rising Sun
In the eastern portion of the sunken garden is the Fountain of the Rising Sun. The tall, slender shaft, a column of travertine by day and a column of light by night, supports a sphere upon which is poised a statue typifying the dawn of day. Adolph A. Weinman is the sculptor of this "Rising Sun" which is so deservedly popular on account of the irresistible appeal of the youthful figure.
Everything about the fountain is indicative of the vigor of youth, the energy associated with the rising of the sun. The friezes about the base represent the triumph of light over darkness, and the merry play of waters suggests perpetual activity. The concrete bowl is of goodly proportions and within the pool are sculptured figures representing mythical creatures of the ocean.
Bordering the fountain are gardens, at first ablaze with rhododendrons, then massed with the pink blooms of hydrangeas, and later bright with the flowers of each successive season.
Court of the UniverseFountain of the Setting Sun
Quite as lovely in every detail as the preceding is the Fountain of the Setting Sun. It is in the opposite portion of the sunken garden where, when the sun is in its descent, it is shadowed by the Triumphal Arch of the Nations of the West.
Crowning the pillar is the figure of a maid, her drooping wings and languorous pose denoting relaxation, a suspension of the day's toil. This statue was also modeled by Adolph A. Weinman. The supporting shaft conveys an impression of buoyancy and there are friezes above and below the bowl of the fountain similar to those of the Rising Sun. At night the columns which support these figures are aglow with concealed lights, and the beauty of the fountain is wonderfully enhanced.
Court of the UniverseThe Fountain Pool and Tower
The inscriptions on the two Triumphal Arches in the Court of the Universe are drawn respectively from Occidental and Oriental literature. It was designed that the large central panels possess a cosmical, an epical, or an elemental quality, and that the smaller panels on either side deal with abstractions, such as truth, nature or beauty. In accordance with this plan, the inscriptions on the Arch of the Setting Sun facing away from the court are as follows:
The panel at the left of the attic, representing Italy, reads
The world is in its most excellent state when justice is supreme.—Dante.
The panel in the center of the attic, representing Germany, is inscribed
It is absolutely indispensable for the United States to effect a passage from the Mexican Gulf to the Pacific Ocean; and I am certain that they will do it. Would that I might live to see it—but I shall not.—Goethe.
The panel at the right of the attic, representing France, reads
The Universe, an infinite sphere, the center everywhere, the circumference, nowhere. Pascal.
Court of the UniverseCorinthian Colonnade & Gardens
The inscriptions on the Arch of the Setting Sun, facing the Court, are as follows:
The panel at the left of the attic, representing England, reads
In nature's infinite book of secrecy a little I can read.—Shakespeare.
The panel in the center of the attic, representing America, reads
Facing west from California's shores,Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,I, a child, very old, over wavesTowards the house of maternity,The land of migrations look afar,Look off the shores of my western sea,The circle almost circled.
—Whitman.
The panel at the right of the attic, representing Spain, is inscribed
Truth, witness of the past, councillor of the present, guide of the future.—Cervantes.
Court of the UniverseIn the Promenade by Night
The inscriptions on the Arch of the Rising Sun, facing the Court, are as follows:
The panel at the left of the attic, representing China, is inscribed
They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it.—Confucius.
The panel in the center of the attic, representing India, reads
The moon sinks yonder in the west,While, in the east, the glorious sunBehind the herald dawn appearsThus rise and set in constant change those shining orbsAnd regulate the very life of this our world.
—Kalidasa.
The panel at the right of the attic, representing Japan, reads
Our eyes and hearts uplifted, seem to gaze on heaven's radiance.—Hitomaro.
Court of the UniverseA Niche and Urn by Night
The inscriptions on the Arch of the Rising Sun, facing away from theCourt, are as follows:
The panel at the left of the attic, representing Arabia, reads
He that honors not himself lacks honor wheresoe'er he goes.—Zuhayr.
The panel in the center of the attic, representing Persia, is inscribed
The balmy air diffuses health and fragrance,So tempered is the genial glow that we know neither heat nor cold.Tulips and hyacinths abound.Fostered by a delicious clime, the earth blooms like a garden.
—Firdausi.
The panel at the right of the attic, representing Spain, reads
A wise man teaches, be not angry; from untrodden ways turn aside.—PhraRuang.
Palace of TransportationIn the Corinthian Colonnade
This promenade, formed by the vast portico of the Palace of Agriculture, is in harmony with the architectural scheme of the Court of the Universe. It is the eastern wall of the aisle leading from the the main court to the Column of Progress.
The shafts of the pillars are fluted and capped after the Corinthian order. Terra cotta, mellow in tone, is the color which has been used upon the travertine material of the columns, and the walls flanking the majestic array of pillars are painted a warm pink. The height of the ceiling is intensified by its deep blue, which seems to blend with the azure of the sky, as one glimpses it through the far opening of the corridor. Masked lanterns adorn the arched ceiling; on the columns are shell-screened lamps and at night the sweep of the promenade is magnified by the indirect lighting effects.
Venetian CourtPalace of Agriculture
The great triumphal arches of the Central Court dominate the connecting aisles on either side, the Arch of the Rising Sun forming the west side of the Florentine Court and the Arch of the Setting Sun the east side of the Venetian Court. All the splendor and dignity of architectural treatment and decorative ornament that enrich the arches as they face toward the Court of the Universe are repeated on the reverse sides.
The treatment of the side walls in the Florentine and Venetian Courts is identical, displaying some of the most delightful features of the Italian Renaissance, with marked richness in the use of both color and ornament. The walls are covered with a diaper pattern in pink and warm ivory. Bright blue and deep orange stain the overhanging cornice. The great windows are latticed and bound with green, the keystone of their arches being a quaint figure with folded wings. Between the arches are inset blue Italian medallions. Between the windows are coupled Corinthian columns, their shafts richly overlaid with ornament after patterns suggested by the churches and palaces of southern Italy. The planting is profuse, with masses of green against the walls and a wealth of bloom, pink predominating in the Florentine Court and yellow in the Venetian.
Court of the Four SeasonsThe Night Illumination
The Court of the Four Seasons is the most restful, the most intimate and the most harmonious of the three main courts, an effect produced by its classic simplicity and the charm of its architecture, sculpture and planting.
The long approach of the north court, which is entered from the Esplanade, is bordered by the stately colonnades of the Palace of Agriculture on the east and the Palace of Food Products on the west. The columns are Ionic, the decorative treatment of their capitals, and of the frieze above, being in fruits and grains, happily conventionalized. The green sward of the avenue is set, here and there, with fine yew trees, while tall, slim eucalypti flank the entrance to the Court.
The Fountain of Ceres designed by Evelyn Beatrice Longman, by the poise of its crowning figure and by the grace and dignity of its entire outline, no less than by its classic conception and fine architectural feeling, enhances the chaste beauty of the long vista whether seen by day outlined against the misty bay and the sweep of hills beyond, or by night, silhouetted against the white rays of the scintillators which are placed on the harbor's edge.
Court of the Four SeasonsThe Great Half Dome
The theme of the Court, the fruitfulness of the changing seasons, is sympathetically rendered by architecture, sculpture and painting in happy combination. The decorative forms all employ agricultural motives, and the sculptured groups or figures and the mural paintings are variations of the same thought.
In architecture, the Court, which was designed by Henry Bacon of New York, is almost severely classic, enriched in its minor details by touches of the Italian Renaissance. The Half Dome, which lies directly opposite the long northern approach, is modeled after Hadrian's villa near Rome. The decoration of the vault of the dome is influenced by the richer coloring of the Court of Palms into which it opens on its inner side, while the archway softens into lighter tones in harmony with the more delicate coloring of the Court of the Four Seasons.
The fine balance of line and proportion which characterizes the Court is shown in the three sculptured figures by Albert Jaegers,—"Harvest," the seated figure which fitly crowns the half dome, blending finely with its nobility and strength of outline, and "Rain" and "Sunshine," which surmount the splendid columns of Sienna marble on either side of the dome.
Court of the Four SeasonsThe Western Archway
The east and west entrances to the Court are massive archways, most satisfying in their purity and dignity of architectural form and treatment, as well as in the superb outlook which they give on either hand. The arches are divided by Corinthian pilasters of Sienna marble. Within, their vaulted ceilings are delicately colored and modeled in faint relief after ancient classic designs, suggesting harvest scenes. The spandrels in the triangles over the curve of the arch and the four times repeated figures which serve as pilasters in the paneled attic space above, are by August Jaegers. All are gracefully molded women's figures, and all alike are emblematic of the richness of the harvest. The signs of the zodiac letter the cornice between the arches and the attic. The inscription above the eastern gateway is from Spenser's "Faerie Queene," and that over the western from "The Triumph of Bohemia" by George Sterling.
The serenity and intimate seclusion of the Court are due perhaps more than to any other single feature, to the quiet, circular pool in its center, shut in by banks of shrubbery and bare of sculptured ornament.
Court of the Four SeasonsOne of the Colonnade Murals
The Court is octagonal in shape, by reason of the fountains, screened by stately rows of columns, which fill its cornet recesses. These corner fountains are distinctly Roman in inspiration, the detail being suggested by the baths of Caracalla. Between the double rows of massive Ionic columns runs the colonnade. The capitals of the columns are enriched by pendant ears of corn, surmounted by a single open flower. Above the severely treated doorways, in each recess, are two mural paintings by Milton Bancroft, picturing alternately the seasonal pleasures and pastimes and their activities or industries. The murals, with the two in the half-dome, also by Milton Bancroft, are all conventionally classic, in keeping with the spirit and atmosphere of the Court.
Within the sheltered niches are the fountains of the four seasons, where the water, rose-tinted by day and a luminous green by night, slips softly and musically over three broadening semicircular terraces to the cool, green pool beneath. The sculptured groups, surmounting the terraced fountains, are by Furio Piccirilli of New York. The enclosing walls are soft pink, the line where they join the blue vault of the sky charmingly broken by the living green of luxuriant, trailing vines.
Court of the Four SeasonsThe Ionic Columns
Through the columns is a glimpse of the Eastern Gateway where, carved in three panels over the entrance, is the following inscription:
So forth issew'd the seasons of the yeare,First lusty spring all dight in leaves and flowres.
Then came the jolly sommer being dightIn a thin cassock coloured greene,Then came the autumne all in yellow clad,Lastly came winter, cloathed all in frize,Chattering his teeth, for cold that did him chill.
—Spenser.
The triple panel in the attic of the Western Gateway reads:
For lasting happiness we turn our eyes to one alone,And she surrounds you now.
Great nature, refuge of the weary heart, and only balm to breasts that have been bruised.
She hath cool hands for every fevered browAnd gentlest silence for the troubled soul.
—Sterling.
Court of the Four SeasonsThe Colonnade and Lawn
The harmonious impression of the Court of the Four Seasons is due largely to the faithfulness with which classic influences have controlled every detail, both in architecture and in ornament. The bulls' heads between festoons of flowers which decorate the base of the entrances into the north court, the eagles at the corners of the pylons above, and the vases repeated on the balustrade about the Court are all Roman in design. Thoroughly classic also are the wreaths of fruits and grains on the panel of the cornice and the lions' heads above. While "The Feast of Sacrifice," the superb groups by Albert Jaegers, crowning the pylons at either side of the entrance to the north court, recall the ancient custom of celebrating the close of harvest by the sacrifice of flower-garlanded bulls.
The planting of the court is quiet and stately, and notably carries out its spirit, with the gray-green of foliage plants and eucalyptus trees and the gnarled stems of gray old olive trees. In its vistas from any angle or point of view, the Court is peculiarly satisfying and beautiful.
Court of the Four SeasonsThe North Colonnade by Night
To stand in the midst of this curving octagonal court and hear, above the whisper of the trees, the murmur of the four hidden fountains that gush unseen from the base of allegorical groups of statuary, glimpsed through colonnades, is to stand in Hadrian's villa of old, where we hear
"Fitly the fountains of silver leap,Whose sound is as soft as the listless flowOf streams that forever linger and goDown delicate, dream-far valleys of sleep."
As in a dream, one looks down the last vista to the open rotunda and crescent hemicycle of the Palace of Fine Arts beyond a lagoon that mirrors them on its surface. Rising from the rich, green massing of shrubbery and mossy banks, the rotunda lifts its proud head, encircled with garlands of symbolical figures, as above a grove of Academe. Behind it the soft red walls of the place glow like the fading embers of sunset. These courts, strung like a rope of pearls between the two poles of man's achievement—mechanics and art—are the heart of the Exposition, and in them are treasures of color and form untold.
—Edwin Markham
Palace of Food ProductsThe Portal from the Gardens
The north facade of the Palaces which line the Marina is bare almost to severity, except for the rich adornment of the portals, the same detail being repeated for each palace. Spanish models served as the patterns for these handsome doorways, the three fine arches, with their supporting columns, suggesting the earlier Spanish Gothic, while the decorative features reflect the Moorish influence of a later period.
The motif is appropriate for the waterfront, reminiscent as it is of the epoch of the Spanish Main. This hint is carried out in the sculptured figures in the alcoves above each arch. Allen Newman modeled them, giving to his work the dash and daring of the domineering conquistadors and piratical deckhands of those stirring days. The portal here pictured leads directly to the Esplanade near the Gardens adjoining the California Building.
Palace of Food ProductsA Detail of the Main Portal
It requires several visits to the Exposition to become accustomed to the stupendous scale which has been followed, not only in the expansive landscape gardening, but in the architectural plans.
In this illustration, a faint conception is afforded of the proportions of the main entrance to the Palace of Food Products. The doors themselves are of ample size, yet are dwarfed to insignificance by the lofty columns and vaulted ceiling of this delightful portal, which is a reproduction from the Spanish Cathedral of Salamanca. The great arches are decorated after the plateresque style, and the spandrels abound in garlands, horns of plenty and other goodly tokens. A Moorish note is detected in the lacy network of the latticed windows. The domed ceilings are painted blue and tints of pink and dull orange are used on the walls and columns of the portal.
The EsplanadeNorth Facade, Column of Progress
The Esplanade is bounded on the north by the Marina and the sparkling waters of the Bay: The boundary line on the south is the imposing frontage formed by the north facade of the four palaces, broken by the inviting entrances to the Court of Ages, the Court of the Universe and the Court of the Four Seasons.
The domes which mark these entrances loom up in fine proportions, and the entrances to the various palaces are particularly well done. Against the old ivory of the massive walls are clustering thickets of cedar, spruce, eucalyptus and clumps of low-growing shrubs.
It is a rare combination—the view one has from the Esplanade. Across the Bay are the inviting hills of Marin County and equally enticing are the vistas stretching through colonnades and arches formed by the courts and palaces of the Exposition. The Column of Progress, surmounted by the "Adventurous Bowman", holds the most noticeable position on the Esplanade.
North FacadeA View from the Bay
The Esplanade extends westward from the ferry slip, along the north facade of the main group of buildings, past the massive walls of the California building and through the States' section to the Massachusetts building.
From the Bay, the dominating center of the Esplanade is the splendid Column of Progress, on either side of which lies the Spanish wall of the north facade broken only by the four magnificent and identical sixteenth-century Renaissance portals which open into the Palaces of Mines, of Transportation, of Agriculture and of Food Products. From the base of the Column of Progress, the vista stretches away, through the Forecourt of the Stars and the Court of the Universe, to the Tower of Jewels, which dominates the southern approach to the grounds. Against the sky-line are outlined the lesser spires of the Italian towers, the heavy bulk of the sculptured groups crowning the arches of the Rising and the Setting Sun, the square summit of the Tower of the Ages and the round domes of the palaces.
Palace of Food ProductsA View from the Fine Arts Laguna
The impression of unity of design in the main group of buildings is heightened by certain distinctive features which characterize all of them in common. On all, there is the central dome, which, with the repeated smaller domes on the corners, is the chief source of charm in the pronounced Oriental or Moorish effect when seen from a distance. The long, unbroken lines and wall spaces give a sense of repose and restraint and emphasize the richness and beauty of the entrances where the decoration is massed. The Palace of Food Products occupies the north-west corner of the main group of buildings. Its western exposure is Roman in design to harmonize with the Palace of Fine Arts on the opposite side of the laguna. Its dominant feature is the great half-dome, officially called "The Half Dome of Physical Vigor," which forms its west entrance. The tall Corinthian columns on either side support Ralph Stackpole's figure of "Youth" and crowning the smaller columns which line the dome are the repeated statues by Earl Cummings, portraying "Physical Vigor," from which the dome takes its name.
Palace of EducationA View from the Fine Arts Laguna
The western exposure of the Palace of Education duplicates the same wall of the Palace of Food Products and the entire facade along the laguna is called the Roman wall, by reason of the thoroughly classic spirit in which it is conceived.
The half-dome here, as there, forms the architectural keystone, and in both buildings, the three niches on either side hold the same alternating figures. While the half dome, with its entire decorative treatment, belongs more fittingly to the Palace of Education, the sculptured figures in the alcoves, by Charles R. Harley, representing alternately "Abundance" and "The Triumph of the Fields," are more in keeping with the Palace of Food Products.
The north face of the Palace of Education, which opens on the Court of the Sunset, connecting Administration Avenue with the Court of the Four Seasons, duplicates the three Spanish doorways of its south facade; and in harmony with these doorways, those on the south wall of the Palace of Food Products, which look out upon the same avenue, are similar in treatment.
Palace of EducationThe Half Dome of Philosophy
The two magnificent Roman half-domes which give character to the otherwise long and bare wall space of the western facade are called in the Palace of Food Products "The Half Dome of Physical Vigor" and in the Palace of Education "The Half Dome of Philosophy." In dignity and nobility, due to massive size and strength of treatment, in beauty of modeling and restraint of decoration, this effective use of the half-dome is one of the finest architectural achievements on the grounds.
The fine, strong figure by Ralph Stackpole, which surmounts the giant Corinthian columns on either side of the opening is used also at the entrance of the Palace of Food Products and here, as there, it is called "Youth," the repeated figure evidently signifying in the mind of the artist the union of intellectual and physical vigor which exemplifies the finest type of manhood. The dome takes its name from the eight times repeated female figure, representing Education, which crowns the Corinthian columns lining its inner curve.
Palace of EducationThe Fountain in the Portal
The central decorative feature within the half-domes which form the western portals of the Palaces of Education and of Food Products is, in each case, a fountain, architectural in character and of great dignity of line and beauty of modeling; Both were designed by W. B. Faville from old Italian models found in Sienna and Ravenna. Both are circular in form and built up in successive tiers, the one at the entrance to the Palace of Education being the simplest in construction and gaining more in charm and grace from the flow of the water.
The interior treatment of the domes furnishes an effective background for the fountains. The vault of the ceiling is a richly colored conventionalized pattern in orange, pompeiian red and blue. The repeated Corinthian columns lining the curve are of Sienna marble. The doorways between them, with the Moorish grill above the doors, are in green, while back of the lattice work is set stained glass in deep amber.
Administration AvenueThe Fine Arts Laguna
The Baker Street Entrance to the Exposition leads directly into Administration Avenue. The Horticultural Gardens first attract attention by their kaleidoscopic patches of blooming flowers. Then the eye travels on past the Palace of Horticulture to the massive bulwark of the Palaces of Education and Food Products in the walls of which two great half-domed portals form the principal points of interest. Across the way lies the Laguna with its reflected image of the Palace of Fine Arts, perhaps the loveliest spot in the Exposition grounds. Plants grow in the pool and the shores are lined with iris, primroses, periwinkles, pampas grass and, overtopping these, weeping willows mingled with other lovely trees and shrubs.
Towards the end of the Avenue is the small but attractive Hawaiian pavilion. The tower of the California building is silhouetted against the background of the Marin hills. Administration Avenue receives its name from the fact that it leads directly to the administrative headquarters of the Exposition, located in the California building.
Palace of Fine ArtsThe Rotunda and Laguna
The Palace of Fine Arts has the finest natural setting on the Exposition grounds. Consummate skill in planning the entire architectural ensemble gave it a commanding position, at the extreme west of the group of exhibit palaces. The architect, Bernard. R. Maybeck of San Francisco, found as an asset on beginning his work, a small natural lake and a fine group of Monterey cypress. With this foundation he has created a temple of supreme loveliness, thoroughly original in conception, yet classic in its elemental simplicity and in its appeal to the highest and noblest traditions of beauty and art, revealing the imagination of a poet, the fine sense of color and harmony of an artist, and the sure hand of a master-architect in his confident control of architectural forms, of decorative detail and of the contributing landscape elements. The conception of the rotunda is said to have been suggested to the architect by Becklin's painting "The Island of the Dead" and that of the peristyle by Gerome's "Chariot Race."
Across the Laguna from the Palace of Fine Arts runs Administration Avenue and the magnificent Roman wall which forms the western facade of the main group of palaces.
Palace of Fine ArtsThe Rotunda and Peristyle
The Palace of Fine Arts is, in reality, not one complete building, but four separate and distinct elements. The rotunda, an octagonal structure, forms the center of the composition. On either side is a detached peristyle which follows the curve of the gallery itself, as it describes an arc about the western shore of the Laguna, yet so successfully are they all bound together by the encircling green wall and by the other landscape elements, that an impression of satisfying unity results.
The architecture, as a whole, is early Roman, with traces of the finerGreek influences. In general treatment, there is a suggestion of theTemple of the Sun at Athens, while much of the detail was inspired bythe Choragic monument of Lysicrates, also at Athens.
The rotunda is Roman in conception, Greek in decorative treatment. By its sheer nobility of form and of proportion, and by its enchantment of color and sculptured ornament, it dominates the entire landscape. The high spiritual quality of the architect's conception culminates in the Shrine of Inspiration, directly in front of the rotunda, as seen from across the laguna, where kneels Ralph Stackpole's lovely figure of "Art Tending the Fires of Inspiration," exquisite in its simplicity and delicate charm.
Palace of Fine ArtsThe Peristyle and Laguna
On either side of the central rotunda the peristyle of the Palace of Fine Arts encircles the shore of the laguna in a long semi-circle, formed of a row of Corinthian columns their pale green simulating age-stained marble. At each extremity of the colonnade and at intervals throughout its length are groups of four larger columns, in ochre, each group surmounted by a great box, designed to hold flowers and vines. Panels simulating pale green, veined marble are inset in these receptacles and at their corners are drooping women's figures by Ulric H. Ellerhusen representing Contemplation. Between the columns, at their bases, are also set receptacles for growing plants.
In its pervading dignity, in the strength of the columns, in the rich beauty of the capitals and in the chaste refinement of the cornice, the colonnade is essentially Greek.
Palace of Fine ArtsIn the Peristyle Walk
Between the Palace of Fine Arts itself and its bordering colonnade of massive Corinthian columns runs a broad promenade which, while binding the two together, receives a sense of freedom and serenity from the open sky above.
The wall of the gallery is interrupted only by the simple entrances at intervals. It is low and intimate in comparison with the great proportions of the other exhibit palaces and its height is further broken by a terrace midway, set with growing plants and shrubs. The whole effect desired by the architect is of an ancient ruin, overgrown through the centuries with vegetation. Along the edge of the roof runs a latticed Pompeiian pergola, hung with trailing vines, and the wall of the building is colored a deep pompeiian red.
The immense flower urns, banded with classic figures in deep relief, bearing heavy swinging garlands, are by Ulric H. Ellerhusen. Alternating with the massed green of shrubs and plants against the wall are niches holding sculptured groups. The Roman urns which crown the square pillars marking the doors and which, in varying size, are repeated here and there about the building, are by William G. Merchant.
Palace of Fine ArtsThe Rotunda from the Peristyle
From any point in the peristyle of the Palace of Fine Arts and under any atmospheric conditions, either by day or by night; the vistas are peculiarly satisfying and charming. About the columns of the stately colonnade are blooming plants in simple, natural groups. And at intervals between the columns under the rotunda or along either end of the laguna, the outdoor gallery of sculpture finds a sympathetic background and setting.
The great dome of the rotunda which crowns so many of the vistas, is stained a velvety burnt orange, with a turquoise blue-green border. Beneath, are eight panels in low relief by Bruno L. Zimm, symbolizing Greek culture and its desire for poetic and artistic expression, conceived in a deeply classic vein and executed with spirit and grace. Below the panels is an attic of pale-green marble.
Flanking each pier of the rotunda are two Corinthian columns in Sienna marble, within the arches are corresponding Corinthian pilasters, and within the dome against each pier is another massive Corinthian column in marble, each one crowned with the serene and noble "Priestess of Culture" by Herbert Adams of New York.
Palace of Fine ArtsThe Peristyle Walk by Night
Of all the wonderful night effects of the Exposition grounds none are so full of haunting beauty as the vistas afforded by the Palace of Fine Arts and its surroundings. By the indirect system of illumination, an effect as of strong moonlight is produced and from concealed sources, under cornices or behind columns, a soft reflected radiance pervades peristyle and rotunda. The trees, shrubs and columns cast long, intense shadows. Through the columns may be seen the long line of the Roman wall across the laguna, its great, half-domes suffused with a mellow, golden light and in the everchanging waters between, it gleams again.
From the other side of the laguna, the rotunda and the long crescent of the colonnade are seen reflected as in a mirror, and when flooded with the white radiance of the searchlights, their majestic beauty is indescribable.
Palace of Fine ArtsA Fountain in the Laguna
Beautiful as the Palace of Fine Arts is from any viewpoint, its simplicity and noble strength are at their best when seen with a foreground of trees and water. The landscape, in its simple naturalness, is in feeling an intimate part of the building itself and so perfectly do they blend that they seem to have grown together through quiet, serene centuries.
Between the columns and along the wall of the building are blooming plants and shrubs, groups of Monterey cypress and eucalyptus trees. The shores of the laguna are banked with shrubs, loosely massed, and groups of evergreens and weeping willows bend over the lake. Outlining its irregular border, broken by small promontories and inlets, thousands of blooming plants creep down to the water's edge and venture out into its placid depths—periwinkles, primroses, daffodils, heliotrope, pampas grass, white and yellow callas, Spanish and Japanese iris and myriads of others whose names and gay, nodding blossoms are more or less familiar. Fountains play in the edge of the lake, the charming spirited group here illustrated being "Wind and Spray" by Anna Coleman Ladd.
Palace of Fine ArtsA Picturesque Garden Fountain
The graceful garden fountain shown is the work of Anna Coleman Ladd. It is located toward the north end of the building near the entrance to the peristyle. Of the general effect of the Palace of Fine Arts and of its deeper meaning, the architect, Bernard R. Maybeck, says:
"There is a succession of impressions produced as one walks through the different parts of the grounds that play on the feeling and the mind, each part having its own peculiar influence on the sentiment. Along the main axis, for example, the Machinery Hall and neighborhood suggest a mixture of the classic and romantic, as you understand the terms in literature."
"The Court of Ages suggests the medieval with all its rising power of idealism in conflict with the physical. The Court of the Universe suggests Rome, inhabited by some unknown placid people. The Court of the Four Seasons suggests the grace, the beauty and the peace in the land where the souls of philosophers and poets dwell."
"The Fine Arts Palace suggests the romantic of the period after the classic Renaissance, and the keynote is one of sadness modified by the feeling that beauty has a soothing influence."
Palace of Fine ArtsThe Garden and Fountain of Time
In the foreground of this poetic garden scene is the foremost figure of Lorado Taft's "Fountain of Time." In sympathy with the atmospheric influence of such a vista, Bernard R. Maybeck, the architect, continues the thought of the preceding page:
"To make a Fine Arts composition that will fit this modified melancholy, we must use those forms in architecture and gardening that will affect the emotions in such a way as to produce on the individual the same modified sadness as the galleries do. Suppose you were to put a Greek temple in the middle of a small mountain lake surrounded by dark, deep rocky cliffs, with the white foam dashing over the marble temple floor, you would have a sense of mysterious fear and even terror, as of something uncanny. If the same temple, pure and beautiful in lines and color, were placed on the face of a placid lake, surrounded by high trees and lit up by a glorious full moon, you would recall the days when your mother pressed you to her bosom and your final sob was hushed by a protecting spirit hovering over you, warm and large. You have there the point of transition from sadness to content, which comes pretty near to the total impression that galleries have and that the Fine Arts Palace and Lake are supposed to have."
California BuildingBell Tower and Forbidden Garden
The California Building is the result of perhaps the most interesting combination of requirements that could be imagined—to provide a host building for the home State of a great Exposition where welcome could warmly and generously be extended to the millions of visitors, where the officials could have suitable quarters and where the fifty-two counties of the State could have their exhibits. The location set aside for the concrete development of these requirements was most stimulating. An edifice to terminate the vista looking north over a laguna of silent water flanked by the wonderful Palace of Fine Arts, and just beyond, the beautiful Bay of San Francisco with a background formed by distant Tamalpais.
No style of architecture could be more appropriate to these needs than that which exists in California—an architecture romantic, peaceful, subtle and charming in its proportions. The task of adapting the Mission architecture to the requirements was given Thomas H. F. Burditt. He entered into the spirit of the old Padre builders with rare intuition, and he designed a building of impressive dignity and hospitality.
California BuildingThe Arches of the Colonnade
The Mission Padres had built neither in magnificence nor in magnitude, and as both of these were requisite qualities in the construction of the California Building, they presented peculiar problems, and were treated with the thought of what one of the old Padres with a limited knowledge of architecture would have done if presented with the larger problem. So it seemed that the entrance foyer should be quiet, and massive and should form a nucleus to all parts of the building. The magnitude of the edifice was so great that all the existing Missions of California could be housed therein, and in order to show the largeness of its proportions and varied functions, each part was designed as a motif in itself and closely related to that part by which it stood.
From the forecourt in replica of the Forbidden Garden of Santa Barbara, surrounded by old cypress hedges, by driveways, and walled in by cloistered arches, one can find the principal entrances to all the main divisions of the building, and also to the administrative portion which contains the executive offices of the Exposition and the official reception and banquet rooms.
California BuildingA Vista in the Colonnade
The cloistered colonnades so intimately associated with Mission architecture have been successfully handled in the Court of the California Building. The molds for the columns of the arches were made by the architect himself, to give the semblance of age and that each should differ from the other. It was most necessary to avoid mechanical regularity in any feature of the building, and in consequence all the details vary, so that no two that are exactly similar are placed near each other. The arches are made of slightly different radii, and the bells vary both in size and design. There are ten main groups of entrances, but no two of them are in any way similar, and it was through these means that the attempt was made to obtain a varied change of interest in plan, mass, silhouette and detail and the lack of precision which must have existed at the time when the old California Missions grew into being.
California BuildingThe Forbidden Garden
There had grown on this location for forty odd years, a hedge of cypress, weary with its age, and groups of trees forming wonderful masses of foliage to charm the eye. This happy circumstance was cleverly utilized by the architect in designing the court of the California Building. A replica of the enclosed Garden of Mission Santa Barbara was laid out within the boundary of this old hedge and planted with old-fashioned flowers such as would have delighted the Mission Fathers.
In the center is a fountain similar to that at Santa Barbara, and the quiet splash of its water adds a touch of charm and romance. The bell tower of the building throws an afternoon shadow over the garden, and within a niche in the tower stands the statue of Padre Serra overlooking this peaceful nook.
California BuildingThe Semi-Tropical Garden
To the south of the California Building, off the Esplanade, lies an interesting garden filled with various species of cacti and unusual semi-tropical plants. Interspersed among these are masses of brightly blossoming dainty flowers—baby blue eyes in the spring and others, equally lovely, as the seasons change. In a sheltered nook rise the tall slender stalks of rare bamboo, sent from a private garden in Bakersfield.
The massive walls of the building form a rich background. Their appearance of stability, enhanced by a slight batter—that is a slight receding from the perpendicular—is shown by a least visible thickness of three feet. These features are evident in every wall throughout the exterior of the building. Within the corridors, the floors appropriately are paved with red brick, and the ceilings are beamed and roughly finished.
Netherlands PavilionAs Seen from the Laguna
The Pavilion of the Netherlands is located sufficiently near the Laguna to be reflected within the pool. The high dome is adorned with four clock towers and a forest of flagstaffs and spires. K. Kromhout, who designed the building, followed the modern ideas of the present-day school of architects in Holland. The ultra style of the Pavilion fails to recall the staunch and dignified brick structures for which the Dutch are famous, but it is a striking edifice. The tiled panels are lovely and the warm colors used in the exterior decorations most attractive.
When viewed from Administration Avenue, the numerous towers, fluttering pennants and harmonious colors are set oft to best advantage by the trees along the Laguna. About the building, the Hollander's love of flowers is strongly in evidence. Ten carloads of bulbs and shrubs were imported for the horticultural display.
Italian PavilionThe Piazzetta Venetia
The Italian Pavilion consists of a group of eight buildings, combining architectural styles of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The main entrance to the pavilion is on the west, and a broad, low flight of steps leads into the Piazza Grande, graced by a fountain by Tacca and pieces of Italian sculpture. On the left is the medieval palace, containing authentic works of art of many ages. Facing this is the Lombard palace, of the period of fourteen-hundred, used by the Italian Commissioners as a reception hall. The Royal Salon and Casa Italiana form the east wall of the main court. The inner courts are beautified with fountains and statuary groups. Covered passageways, supported by slender pillars, extend around three sides of the piazzetta, and add a delicate charm to the enclosure. The Venetian Well in the center is a characteristic note, and the stairways leading to the upper verandas, and the niches about this court, are delightful in design. The outer elevation of the main building is of the sixteenth century. Within the Casa Italiana there is an exact reproduction of the library of the S. Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
Italian PavilionIn the Court Verrochio
The arcade which connects the Etruscan Tower with the Bargello Hall separates the smaller court of the Italian Pavilion from the Piazza Grande. The most attractive feature in this ideal court is the staircase and balcony, done in the period of the fourteenth century, with a most interesting composition of the flat walls, pierced by a graceful double arch, attractively spotted with plaques and brightened by the color of the Della Robias and the geraniums blossoming through the balustrade. A delicate touch is given by the Fountain of the Winged Boy with the Fish, by Verrocchio, which occupies the center of the stone-flagged court. To the left of the staircase is a mural fresco depicting the "Return from the Crusade."
Old iron-framed lanterns hang from the gray-toned ceilings of the arcades. The coloring of the walls and pillars is stone gray blended with shades of brown and grayish-blue. The vivid green of the sun-lit grass within the Piazzetta Venetia relieves the sober color scheme of this court. The balconies are lined with blooming flowers, and shrubs and plants in artistic receptacles add to its attractiveness.
Avenue of the NationsTower of Sweden's Pavilion
The Avenue of the Nations extends from the Exposition group of Palaces in a diagonal direction westward to the Marina, and is lined on either side with the pavilions of the Foreign Nations. In the picture there is a glimpse of the Canadian Building to the left, and prominent in the view is the characteristic Swedish tower, typically northern, and interesting in detail.
Immediately beyond is Bolivia's Palace, to an equal degree typical of the south, followed by the pinkish-toned building erected by Cuba. Denmark's Pavilion, on the left of the Avenue adjoining the Palace of Fine Arts, is distinctly individual, marked by its towers which reproduce several historic towers in Denmark, and the moat in which frogs croak at night. The interior is arranged to represent the rooms of a gentleman's country home. On the hillside to the south are several avenues about which are grouped others of the Foreign Pavilions—the picturesque gardens of Japan, the open court of France, with its Rodin bronze, and the dignified pavilions of Australia, Norway, Greece and many other nations.
The EsplanadeA View of the Foreign Pavilions
The pavilions of the Foreign Nations are on the south side of the Esplanade, westward from the group of Exposition Palaces. In the foreground of this view is seen Canada's stately building, guarded by the massive British lions. The admirable and comprehensive exhibit within has aroused great admiration and established a standard for such displays. Beyond is the pagoda of the Chinese gardens, and the tea houses, with their roofs colored in the wonderful yellow which occurs so often in the old Chinese rugs.
The slate-colored dome of Argentina's ornate Palace precedes the pinkish-toned Netherlands building seen in the distance—the rather whimsical style of the latter adding a distinct note to that section of the grounds. The park to the south is distinguished by two Oriental buildings erected respectively by Siam and Turkey. The first is an exact copy of a royal pavilion in the Garden of Maha Chakkri Palace, at Bangkok. The latter is equally typical of the East, marked with dome, minarets and spires, and includes the main pavilion and a near-by mosque and prayer tower, connected with it by a corridor.
The EsplanadeA View of the State Buildings
The buildings erected by California's sister Commonwealths occupy the district west of the California Building, and the north line of the Esplanade to the Marina. Designed in various individual and dignified styles, surrounded with handsome lawns and beautiful gardens, they have formed a most important and interesting feature of the Exposition grounds. Many of the buildings reproduce historic landmarks. The golden dome of the Massachusetts State House is as dominant a feature at the head of the Esplanade as is the original on Beacon Street in Boston. The loggia of Independence Hall is familiar enough to bring a patriotic thrill to the heart of the loyal American, even were not the cherished Liberty Bell on view. Another Colonial feature is the Trenton Barracks, Washington's headquarters in New Jersey; and "Homewood" takes one back to Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, and Baltimore in 1802. The massive log building from Oregon is fairly representative of that state of virgin forests, notwithstanding the mistaken attempt to reproduce the classic Parthenon in such a crude medium. In this view the magnificent building for New York is in the foreground. Beyond, in the order named, are the buildings for Pennsylvania, New York City, Illinois, Ohio, Utah and Massachusetts.
The ZoneA Holiday Gathering
The Zone, while providing excellent entertainment and relaxation, is above the standard established by the amusement sections of former expositions, many of its concessions being of an educational nature. This is notably true of the Panama Canal, which appears on the left of this picture. Because of its value as a faithful reproduction of the great work which the Exposition commemorates, many consider it as deserving a place in the main grounds. Almost equal to this in educational interest and quite ranking it in beauty are the reproductions of the Grand Canyon with its Hopi and Navajo Indians, and Yellowstone Park. Old Faithful Inn in the latter is a favorite place for social gatherings.
For pure fun and gaiety, Toyland Grown Up, that whimsical conceit especially built for youngsters, old and young, has provided merriment for thousands. Of thrillers that raise the hair and make the heart beat high and without which no amusement section would be complete, the Zone announces its full quota with much rattling of machinery and many shrieks of joy.
And the presence of strange peoples, one of the recognized features of these places, is also noticeable along the Zone. A Maori tribe from New Zealand, Samoans, Hawaiians, Aztecs from Old Tehauntepec, and others bring their customs and costumes from unfamiliar lands.
The ZoneThe Bizarre Decorations
There is something naive about the Zone. It presents its colossal grotesques—its gargantuan Uncle Sam, its monstrous elephants—rather with an air of acknowledging that it cannot compete with the beauty one leaves behind when one turns in under its gay flags ad lanterns. Here is frankly the spirit of abandon. To the right and left the bawling barkers shout their enticements, begging one's patronage. Up and down the street the endless patter of the feet of men and women, the wheeze of the little electrics and the blare of brassy music ebb and flow. Here and there is the dominant note of the Exposition, its pastel shades of burnt orange and red, and its indefinable blue. They flutter forth, hooped about the flagpoles with Oriental effect. Those wonderful lanterns, that delightful medieval touch which one finds through the grounds, are here employed with great effect.
When one is tired of gigantic horses with ever-impending hoofs, tired of large plaster ladies whose complete poise does not entirely atone for a rather excess of buxomness, one can always turn to these reminders of the beauty that is the essential characteristic of the Exposition itself.
The FireworksStar Shells and Steam Battery
Notwithstanding the excellence attained by the Exposition in the beauty of its coloring, the poetry in its courts and architecture, the mystery and glamour of its illuminations, the spectacular element could not be overlooked. This finds expression in the fireworks that are let loose on the Marina several evenings each week. Here, however, a distinct advance has been made upon the familiar pyrotechnic display of former events. The use of powerful scintillators with their colored rays playing upon smoke clouds and flying devices from exploded bombs high in the air, or upon weird shapes of steam sent out by the engine on the border of the yacht harbor, lends infinite variety and beauty. In several of the numbers the scintillators secure the effects unaided, their lights making strange figures in the heavens. "Spooks' Parade," "Aurora Borealis," "Devil's Fan," are some of the ideas suggested.
Zone SalvoThe Final "Big Noise"
The Exposition Fireworks are under the direction of William D'A. Ryan, Chief of Illumination. On each occasion a set program is followed consisting of twenty-four numbers. At the opening, a salute of ten detonating bombs and a large rocket announce the event. This is followed by features of the scintillator lights, combinations of these with steam, with smoke bombs and with orange showers and Japanese daylight shells, and by fancy star shells, festoon rockets and candle fountains. The climax is reached in the Zone Salvo when a tremendous explosion of hundreds of detonating devices occurs, with rockets and star shells exploding in the air, the rays of the scintillator coloring the smoke clouds in brilliant hues; and amidst it all, high above, suddenly appears a beautiful American flag caught and followed by the ray of a powerful white searchlight as it floats away from sight.
Here ends The Architecture and Landscape Gardening of the Exposition, with an introduction by Louis Christian Mullgardt. The descriptive titles have been written by Maud Wotring Raymond and John Hamlin. Edited by Paul Elder. Published by Paul Elder and Company and seen through their Tomoye Press under the typographical direction of H. A. Funke in the city of San Francisco during the month of September, Nineteen Hundred and Fifteen.