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48-498: The Contemporary Jewish Museum was founded in 1984 and was housed in a small gallery space near San Francisco's waterfront for over two decades. In 1989, the museum initiated a planning process to address the growing community need for its programs. The result was the decision to create a more expansive and centrally located facility with increased exhibitions, an area dedicated to education, and added program areas including live music, theater, dance, literary events, and film. In June 2008,

96-473: A 3.84-mile (6.18 km) circuit set up around the Exposition grounds. The Smithsonian Institution also had an exhibition at the Exposition. Native American culture was a topic of interest during the nine-month long exposition with multiple attractions dedicated to Native American life. The most popular attraction at the exposition that depicted Native American life is James Earle Fraser's statue The End of

144-506: A San Francisco weekly review, between 1892 and 1899. At times harsh in his criticisms, Polk often alienated colleagues and former associates with his comments. After much dissatisfaction with their logo, in 1894 the Sierra Club adopted a design by Willis Polk. It was used with small changes until 1998. He struggled to earn commissions, and in 1897 he declared bankruptcy. However, an opportunity presented itself in 1899. Francis Hamilton, of

192-423: A campaigning platform for discussing women's rights and social issues. It was commonly argued that the fair celebrated male dominance over women by not providing a building for women. Also, men and women were depicted differently in artworks advertising the exposition. White women, specifically, were presented as caretakers while men as strong and powerful saviors, such as in the poster "13th Labor of Hercules." At

240-472: A combination of plaster and burlap fiber), almost all the fair's various buildings and attractions were pulled down in late 1915. Intended to fall into pieces at the close of the fair (reportedly because the architect believed every great city needed ruins), the only presently-surviving building on the Exposition grounds, Bernard Maybeck 's Palace of Fine Arts, remained in place, slowly falling into disrepair. The hall, used to display painting and sculpture during

288-545: A forest fire swept through the area in 2020, severely damaging the railroad, which has not run since then. The Legion of Honor Museum , in Lincoln Park , was the gift of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels , wife of the sugar magnate and thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder Adolph B. Spreckels . The building is a full-scale replica of the French Pavilion from the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, which in turn

336-594: A more anthropological light versus this American ideal. During the Panama–Pacific International Exposition women were in charge of their own board, known as the Woman's Board of San Francisco's Panama–Pacific International Exposition. The board, also called the Board of Lady Managers, allowed women to take part in organizing different aspects of the fair and more importantly gave them the opportunity to have

384-480: A teen internship program. The museum's main building is the former Pacific Gas & Electric Jessie Street Substation, which was originally built in 1881 and was rebuilt in 1907 by Willis Polk after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 1974. Daniel Libeskind designed the new 63,000 square foot (5,900 square meter) interior of

432-513: A thousand United States dollars . The United States Congress authorized the San Francisco Mint (also known as "The Granite Lady") to issue a series of five commemorative coins . Said coins were the 1915-S silver Panama-Pacific half dollar and four gold coins. The denominations of the gold coins were $ 1, $ 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 (quarter eagle) and $ 50 (in two types: a round coin, and an unusual octagonal coin). The Panama-Pacific coins have

480-655: A tribe of Carmel Indians." While the demise of Native American people was a rhetoric created by fair organizers, scholars have argued that in reality, the Native persona was very present and did not reflect the idea that it was a disappearing civilization. Native Americans were in fact part of the fair, but also attended as visitors, performers, and workers. More recently, scholars have focused on Native representation in San Francisco's 1915 rival world fair, San Diego's 1915 Panama–California Exposition, that showed Native American life in

528-462: The Los Angeles Times praised Libeskind for a "careful balance of explosive and well-behaved forms" and gallery designs that abandon the architect's characteristic slanted walls. Likewise, David D'Arcy of The Wall Street Journal sees the museum as a laudable departure from Libeskind's previous work. He finds a "lightness to this [museum] that is rare in the architect's work" and that "relieves

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576-579: The Pioneer Mother .   The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century was established by six women while attending the exposition. The centerpiece was the Tower of Jewels , which rose to 435 feet (133 m) and was covered with over 100,000 cut glass Novagems . The 3 ⁄ 4 -to-2-inch (19 to 51 mm) colored "gems" sparkled in sunlight throughout the day and were illuminated by over 50 powerful electrical searchlights at night. South of

624-448: The Hebrew letters that spell " chai " —" chet " and " yud ", inspire the form of the building. Libeskind himself explains how he used the letters: "The chet provides an overall continuity for the exhibition and educational spaces, and the yud with its 36 windows, serves as special exhibition, performance and event space." "To Life", also a traditional Jewish drinking toast, refers both "to

672-528: The Panama Canal (2¢), the Golden Gate (5¢), and the discovery of San Francisco Bay (10¢). The stamps were first put on sale in 1913, to promote the coming event, and perforated 12, and then reissued in 1914 and 1915, perforated 10. Their prices today range widely; the 2¢ of 1913 is available for under a dollar in used condition, while an unused 10¢ of the scarcer orange-yellow variety in 1915 can be worth up to

720-558: The War Memorial Opera House and Veterans Building, part of the planned Civic Center . In 1917, Polk designed but was not involved in the construction of the single family homes at 831, 837, 843 and 849 Mason Street in the exclusive area of Nob Hill in San Francisco at the intersection with California Street opposite the Mark Hopkins Hotel building. 849 Mason Street was redeveloped into four luxury apartments called Four at

768-657: The "Peace Palace", a transformation of the Civic Auditorium (now the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium ). May Wright Sewall , by appointment of Charles C. Moore , chair of the exposition, organized the peace conference. It was attended by women pacificists from all over the world, especially the neutral countries of World War I . One of the most memorable achievements of the Women's Board was the installation of statues that celebrated women, specifically mothers, known as

816-594: The California Historical Society and on microfilm at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art . Panama%E2%80%93Pacific International Exposition The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco , California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal , but it

864-516: The Fair, was repurposed as a garage for jeeps during World War II . The Palace, including the colonnade with its signature weeping women and rotunda dome, was completely reconstructed in the 1960s and a seismic retrofit was completed in early 2009. The Exploratorium , an interactive science museum, occupied the northern 2/3 of the Palace from 1969 to 2013; the city-owned Palace of Fine Arts Theater, has occupied

912-559: The Native community, can be seen through artworks such as The End of the Trail and The Pioneer or tributes to Francisco Pizarro and Hernán Cortés. In comparison to previous world fairs, the Panama–Pacific International Exposition showcased Native Americans more as nobles rather than savage people, but who were still inevitably destined to become extinct. These ideas were presented in plays, known as pageants, where Native Americans played small roles such as in "Catalonian dragoons, muleteers, and

960-615: The Palaces of Food Products, Agriculture, Liberal Arts, and Education and Social Economy and surrounding the Court of the Four Seasons; and the Palaces of Transportation, Mines and Metallurgy, Varied Industries, and Manufacturers surrounding the Court of Abundance. The central court group was bookended on the east by the Palace of Machinery, the largest of all the halls built for the Exhibition, and on

1008-650: The Top in 1983 by the restaurateur and wine maker Pat Kuleto . Polk died at home in San Mateo , California on September 10, 1924, at the age of 56. He is buried in Santa Clara Mission Cemetery in Santa Clara, California. After his death, his stepson Austin P. Moore ran his business Willis Polk & Co. into the 1930s. Some of his papers are held at University of California, Berkeley , and scrapbooks are held at

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1056-664: The Tower, the Fountain of Energy flowed at the center of the South Gardens, flanked by the Palace of Horticulture on the west and the Festival Hall to the east. The arch of the Tower served as the gateway to the Court of the Universe, leading to the Court of the Four Seasons to the west and the Court of Abundance to the east. These courts formed the primary exhibit area for the fair, which included

1104-584: The Trail . Fraser's statue, which showed a Native American man slumped over on a horse, reflected the American idea at the time, that the Native American race was doomed for extinction. The exposition not only celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal, but also advances made by the American people, part of which were the conquests of indigenous people by Americans as well as Europeans. These celebrations over

1152-521: The conservative California Architect and Building News. In addition to Polk, John Galen Howard , Ernest Coxhead , and Bertram Goodhue were contributors to the News. In 1894, Polk led the Guild of Arts and Crafts, an organization of artists and architects, in an effort to create a Board of Public Works that would approve the design of all municipal projects. Polk also wrote a series of short critiques for The Wave ,

1200-592: The creation of a series of commemorative medals, an award medal, a souvenir medal, and diplomas. In 2015, the California Historical Society , the Maybeck Foundation, and Innovation Hangar partnered with the City and County of San Francisco to commemorate the centennial of the transformative 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. On June 20, 2015 a commemorative orchestra, chorus and band concert

1248-420: The distinction of being the first commemorative coins to bear the motto "In God We Trust", and were also the first commemoratives to be struck at a branch mint. The two lower denomination gold coins are scarce, while the two $ 50 ones are extremely rare. The silver half dollar had a mintage of 27,134 and in modestly worn condition is available for several hundred dollars. Numismatist Farran Zerbe supervised

1296-746: The father, serving as a founding member of the Kansas City Architects Association, was able to introduce his eldest son to Adriance Van Brunt, principal of the firm Van Brunt & Howe to gain more experience as a draftsperson. Since Van Brunt & Howe of Boston had just established a branch office there, a few years later Willis Jr left Kansas City to seek his future studying under former Van Brunt associate William Robert Ware at Columbia University in New York City . Willis Polk's early career included work with McKim, Mead & White , as well as Bernard Maybeck . In 1889, Polk joined

1344-411: The local firm Percy & Hamilton, died, and George Washington Percy asked Polk to be his new partner. Polk was primarily in charge of design and employee management, while Percy focused on the business end. The partnership gave Polk a relief to his debt and the opportunity to work on large-scale commercial structures. The partnership designed five buildings, including One Lombard Street . Addison Mizner

1392-625: The locomotive is now on static display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento . A telephone line was also established to New York City so people across the continent could hear the Pacific Ocean . The Liberty Bell traveled by train on a nationwide tour from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , to attend the exposition. The 1915 American Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup auto races were held February 27 and March 6 on

1440-458: The most important building in San Francisco. Polk was a versatile architect, with particular skill in combining classical styles with environmental harmony. He was regarded for his elegant residential work, mainly in mansions and estates, in the Georgian Revival style for wealthy and prominent San Francisco residents. After World War I , Polk's productivity declined. He oversaw the design of

1488-426: The museum opened a new 63,000 square-foot facility in downtown San Francisco. The museum has no permanent collection. It curates and hosts a broad array of exhibitions each year in collaboration with other institutions. The museum's education programs include public tours, classes and workshops, film screenings, lectures and gallery talks, performances, teacher training, school visits, family tours and art making, and

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1536-604: The office of A. Page Brown in New York and moved with Brown's firm to San Francisco, subsequently taking over the Ferry Building project following Brown's death. Though his own career was inconsistent during these years, Polk became an active and outspoken advocate for the architectural profession and the standards of good design. During 1890-91 he published three issues of the Architectural News, conceived as an alternative to

1584-461: The role the substation played in restoring energy to the city after the 1906 earthquake and the Museum's mission to be a lively center for engaging audiences with Jewish culture." The Hebrew word pardes , meaning " orchard ", is embedded in the wall of the lobby. The building also houses a multi-purpose event space, an auditorium, Wise Sons Deli , and a museum store. Critic Christopher Hawthorne of

1632-521: The southern 1/3 since 1970. Several other buildings were saved immediately following the Exposition, including the California, Missouri, and Philippine buildings, which were built on government land. Buildings from the Exposition that still stand today (other than the Palace of Fine Arts) include what is now called the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium at Civic Center Plaza and the Japanese Tea house, which

1680-420: The state in celebration of California's produce. All the women were young, beautiful white women who were often the highlight of newspaper articles and events. This use of women presented the idea that they were useful only for their beauty but failed to appreciate their intellectual capacity and physical abilities. The International Conference of Women Workers to Promote Permanent Peace was held on July 4–7 in

1728-527: The structure, nicknamed the "Tin Barn", has served as the base fire department for the last 30 years. After its move, it initially served as a horse barn, and since then, it has served as a gym, PX and a movie theater for the base. The US Post Office issued a set of four postage stamps to commemorate the exposition, with designs depicting a profile of Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1¢), the Pedro Miguel Locks of

1776-510: The substation, plus a new deconstructivist cubical addition which extends it. The new museum was completed in 2008 at the cost of $ 47.5 million. The building's tilted, dark-blue stainless steel cube, constructed by A. Zahner Company , slices into the old substation's brick , making visible the relationship between the new and the old. Libeskind's design preserves the defining features of Polk's old building, including its brick façade , trusses , and skylights . 36 diamond-shaped windows light

1824-460: The surrounding district's glass and steel tourist-mall monotony." Kerry King currently serves as the museum's Executive Director. Previous directors include Chad Coerver (2021-2023), Lori Starr (2013–2020) and Constance Wolf (1999–2012). In 2018, the museum hired Heidi Rabben, who is currently Senior Curator. Renny Pritikin was formerly Chief Curator (2014–2018). Willis Polk Willis Jefferson Polk (October 3, 1867 – September 10, 1924)

1872-454: The time, there was an idea of a "New Woman" who was more progressive and advanced intellectually and sexually. This idea of a "New Woman" related to the overarching themes of the fair: modernity, and progress. In efforts to promote the fair, organizers used the "New Woman" as an advertising tactic and proof that San Francisco was an evolving and safe environment for tourists. During the fair, women could be seen posing with agriculture from around

1920-578: The top floor of the metal cube, known as the " Yud ", which hosts sound and performance based exhibitions. The museum's other section, a slanting rectangle known as the "Chet", holds the narrow lobby, an education center, and part of an upstairs gallery. Similar to Libeskind's Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen , the Contemporary Jewish Museum incorporates text into its design. Inspired by the phrase " L'chaim ", meaning "To Life", Libeskind let

1968-659: The west by the Palace of Fine Arts , which survives onsite. Further west into the Presidio, down The Avenue of the Nations, were national and states' buildings, displaying customs and products unique to the area represented. The far western end of the Fair, past the states' pavilions, was reserved for live stock exhibits. At the opposite end of the Fair, near Fort Mason was "The Zone", an avenue of popular amusements and concessions stands. Constructed from temporary materials (primarily staff ,

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2016-708: Was a three-quarter-scale version of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur also known as the Hôtel de Salm in Paris by George Applegarth and H. Guillaume. At the close of the exposition, the French government granted Spreckels permission to construct a permanent replica of the French Pavilion, but World War I delayed the groundbreaking until 1921. The warehouse for the exposition was moved to Fort Hunter Liggett in South Monterey County and

2064-438: Was a member of Mayor Eugene Schmitz 's Committee of Fifty leaders who undertook ambitious plans to rebuild a world-class city. Polk was tasked with convincing city officials to adopt Burnham's 1905 Plan of San Francisco. By 1910, Willis Polk was recognized as one of the most influential architects and urban planners in the city. Polk was again credited for designing the tallest building in San Francisco when his Hobart Building

2112-883: Was an American architect, best known for his work in San Francisco, California. For ten years, he was the West Coast representative of D.H. Burnham & Company . In 1915, Polk oversaw the architectural committee for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition (PPIE). Willis Polk was born on October 3, 1867, in Jacksonville, Illinois to architect builder Willis Webb Polk (1836-1906). The eldest of four children, in 1873 he moved with his family to Saint Louis, Missouri and again by 1881 to Hope , Arkansas. Willis Jr began his architectural training with his brother Daniel in his father's office. In 1885, Polk's family moved again to Kansas City , where Willis Webb Polk,

2160-593: Was barged down the Bay to Belmont, California , and operated successively as a private residence, speakeasy, and restaurant. Also surviving are the one-third scale steam locomotives of the Overfair Railroad that operated at the Exposition. They had been maintained in working order at the Swanton Pacific Railroad Society located on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Swanton Ranch just north of Santa Cruz. But

2208-527: Was completed in 1914. In 1915, Polk was appointed the chair of the architectural planning committee for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition . When the exposition concluded, Polk led the effort to preserve Bernard Maybeck 's Palace of Fine Arts . One of Polk's most influential commissions came in 1916, when he was tasked to design the Hallidie Building . Its glass curtain facade was a precursor to modern skyscraper development. It has been argued to be

2256-609: Was one of his apprentices. In 1901, Polk went on a tour of Europe and Chicago . In Chicago, he met prominent architect Daniel Burnham . From 1903 to 1913, Polk was the West Coast representative of D.H. Burnham & Company . Polk designed several of his most notable structures while associated with the firm, including the Merchants Exchange Building , the tallest building in San Francisco upon its completion in 1903. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake opened up numerous opportunities for Polk to design Burnham structures. He

2304-506: Was widely seen in the city as an opportunity to showcase its recovery from the 1906 earthquake . The fair was constructed on a 636-acre (257-hectare) site along the northern shore, between the Presidio and Fort Mason , now known as the Marina District . Among the exhibits at the exposition was the C. P. Huntington , the first steam locomotive purchased by Southern Pacific Railroad ;

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