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Home - Parks and Fairs - 1939-1940 + 1915 San Francisco World Fair Expo Films DVD

1939-1940 + 1915 San Francisco World Fair Expo Films DVD

Parks and Fairs

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1939-1940 + 1915 San Francisco World Fair Expo Films DVD

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Take a trip back in time to these two classic festivals held in San Francisco. Smell the food, see the sights, this collection takes you back in time to a lost era.

The San Francisco World Fairs

1915 and 1939-1940

An original production published by The Classic Archives!

Think of it - just nine years after the devastating 1906 earthquake, San Francisco staged the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal in August, 1914 and showing more than 18 million visitors from around the world that it remained "the city that knew how." Understandably, the universal reaction of fair-goers was "a sense of wonder."

The building of the canal itself was, of course, an incredible feat: Over 50 years in the making, it was dubbed "The 13th Labor of Hercules." And so was the creation of the Exposition, beginning with the placement of 300,000 cubic yards of fill to create land for the site from what had formerly been San Francisco Bay and is now San Francisco's Marina district. The times were heady, and rapid strides were being made in engineering and manufacturing. Consider just a few notable aspects:

In 1939, the city of San Francisco hosted an international exhibition, named the Golden Gate Fair in honor of the construction by the city of the world's two largest suspension bridges, the Golden Gate and San Francisco-Oakland, which spanned the San Francisco Bay. With all the skill that could be mustered by American engineers, an island was constructed amidst the Pacific waters, becoming the largest ever manmade island. Christened Treasure Island, this would be the location of the 1939 Exhibition. The visions of a fair surrounded by the glory of the Pacific Ocean had finally materialized. However, this captivating scene took place as Europe verged on the edge of disaster. Germany had already begun its annexation of neighboring countries and threatened to unleash conflict on a global level. In only two short years the United States would be fully involved in this catastrophe. Furthermore, at the time of the fair the United States had just emerged from the Great Depression, which had affected the country in many ways. This fair seemed to provide a brief interlude between these two very difficult times in American history. For this event the U.S. decided to turn attention away from the international climate and focus on the beauty of the Pacific, which ironically is named for peace.

This DVD attempts to chronicle these 2 historic events in the San Francisco area.

This DVD runs about 2 hours and has a fully interactive menu. A list of films is as follows:

Frisco Fair -Pacific Northwest (ca. 1939-40)

Kodachrome home movies from San Francisco's Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-40); views along the coast and highways of California and Oregon. Even though it is unknown I’m certain that this is the Wathens, whose films grace this archive, adventures through the pacific Northwest. Here, they drive through the coastline, marvel at the redwood trees, marvel at the goats on the shoreline, and take some very wobbly shots through the car window and then go to the expo at SF. While there, they take some VERY nice photos of the place, with the central tower, some of the exhibits and of course, the flowers.

Silent, Color, 17:05

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download

Golden Gate International Exposition (ca. 1939-40)

Kodachrome footage of the San Francisco World's Fair, held on Treasure Island. Some dazzling footage of the Golden Gate fair held in SF, shot by a person very much in love with the glowers growing there, as the camera seems to dwell on the flowering plants. On the opposite end, comes huge hulking buildings.

Silent, 2 Parts, Color, 19:24

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 4

Golden Gate International Exposition, colorized 2nd version (ca. 1939)

Views of pre-World War II San Francisco and the Golden Gate International Exposition. GREAT overview of San Fransisco and the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, with the festival and ultimately the exposition! After a funny intro about how SF was formed, we then get a whirlwind tour of SF, stopping on the tall streets, Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf, some really nice photography here, as we go into Chinatown.

Sound, Color, 7:44

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 7

Dead Fair 1940

Treasure Island, in San Francisco Bay, shown after the closure of the Golden Gate International Exposition. It shows the Pan Pacific fairgrounds after the big fair.

Sound, B&W, 1:11

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 10

Farewell to Treasure Island (1940)

Conclusion of the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, California. Short promotional film from 1940 trying to get people to visit the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco before it closes. This has lots of color footage of the fair's architecture, giving it historical value.

Sound, Color, 2:53

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 13

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915)

Various images, Dignitaries and ceremonies at the Fair.

Silent, 1 Part Color, 2 Parts, B&W, 21:39 total

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 16

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (ca. 1940s)

Revisitation of the 1915 San Francisco Exposition, with added narration that focuses on nostalgia and memory. With excellent footage of many aspects of the Fair, beginning with groundbreaking on February 25, 1911. Frank W. Vail's overly sentimental production of the Panama Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915. Made in 1940, I suppose some people at that time liked the nostalgic treatment of this event that had taken place 25 years before. The motion pictures of the fair are quite interesting.

Sound, B&W, 10:13

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 19

San Francisco World's Fair

News Parade newsreel footage of the San Francisco World's Fair in 1939, the Golden Gate International Exposition. The fair was intended to celebrate the opening of two bridges, the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge. It was held on Treasure Island.

Sound, B&W, 9:27

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 22

The Story of Jewel City (1915)

A highly sentimental and simplistic film made by D.W.Griffith for the San Francisco Exposition of 1915. The film gives you a glimpse of a long past era. Looking at the buildings of the exposition were historically interesting. Fantasy film produced for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

Silent, B&W, 9:03

1915 1939-1940 San Francisco World Fairs movie download 25