12 Pictures of the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair, Then and Now
Images courtesy of ScenePast
By Rebecca OConnell
San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition opened Feb. 20, 1915, nearly 100 years ago. To mark the upcoming anniversary, iPhone app ScenePast Americana collected a slew of vintage pictures from the event and put them next to some current photos. Viewers can scour pictures of the 630-acre exhibition held in San Francisco’s Marina District. There’s only one remaining building from the exhibition, so the pictures capture a huge change.
To get these side-by-side looks, ScenePast researched fair documents and maps, including this super-incredible interactive map.
1. PALACE OF FINE ARTS (1915 & 2015)
Location: 3301 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA
The palace is the only structure from the fair that remained in its original location. It was one of 10 palaces that were erected for the exhibition.
2. PALACE OF FINE ARTS ROTUNDA (1915 & 2015)
Location: 3601 Lyon St., San Francisco, CA
The colonnade and rotunda of the palace were not constructed with durable materials, so the majority of the structure was demolished and rebuilt in the 1960s.
3. THE NETHERLANDS PAVILION (1915 & 2015)
Location: Yacht Road & Old Mason St., San Francisco, CA
The tall building is now completely gone, but you can see a familiar dome in the background.
Related: Wish You Were Here? 12 Postcard Locations, Then and Now
4. PALACE OF HORTICULTURE (1915 & 2015)
Location: Divisadero St. & Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA
Today, a building housing the Marina Branch of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of San Rafael stands in this location.
5. PALACE OF TRANSPORTATION (1915 & 2015)
Location: Marina Blvd. & Scott St., San Francisco, CA
The giant structure has been replaced by residential buildings.
6. THE AMUSEMENT ZONE: Dayton Flood & Creation (1915 & 2015)
Location: Francisco St. & Laguna St., San Francisco, CA
A baseball diamond now inhabits the space where the Amusement Zone once was.
Related: Flashback! Stunning Photos of Yosemite Then and Now
7. THE MACHINERY PALACE (1915 & 2015)
Location: Fillmore St. & Beach St., San Francisco, CA
All the grass has been paved over, and homes have been constructed.
8. NATIONS OF THE EAST, Court of Sun & Stars (1915 & 2015)
Location: 3630 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA
You can now find a beautiful elementary school in place of the fair structure.
9. THE SERVICE BUILDING (1915 & 2015)
Location: 515 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA
No trace of the service building remains.
Related: Cheat Sheet: San Francisco
10. LIBERAL ARTS PALACE & TOWER (1915 & 2015)
Location: Bay St. & Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA
Here’s another view of similar-looking apartments.
11. STATE OF WASHINGTON PAVILION (1915 & 2015)
Location: Mason St. & Halleck St. (now the Crissy Field Marsh), San Francisco, CA
The pavilion is gone, but at least now there’s a good view of the bridge.
12. JAPANESE VILLAGE (1915 & 2015)
Location: Gough St. & Bay St., San Francisco, CA
The village has been dismantled, and now there is a small park in its place.
For more cool comparisons, you can download the app here; for more information about the fair’s centennial, check out PPIE100.org.
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