"There are people who don't like this color," said the architect."It's fashionable nowadays to feel a prejudice against red.But it is one of the most beautiful colors in nature and one of nature's greatest favorites, associated with fire and with flowers.To me the tower is never so beautiful as it is when the red light seemed to burn from a fire inside.See how it tends to eliminate the superfluous ornamentation.It brings out the grace of line in the upper tiers, like folded wings.With just a few eliminations the improvement in that tower would be astonishing."Presently the lights in the tower went out altogether.The four Italian towers also grew dim.It was getting late.People were hurrying out.But we lingered.We wished to see this city of domes as it appeared without any lights at all, except for those that were kept burning to meet the requirements of the law.
For an hour we roamed about the deserted place.Here and there we would meet a belated visitor or a group of people from some indoor festivity.
The material had taken on a finer quality.It looked like stone.
Wonderful as the Exposition was by day and in the evening, it was far more wonderful at this hour.
Now it was easy to imagine the scene as a city, with the inhabitants asleep in their beds.But just what kind of city it was I could not make up my mind.When I expressed this thought to the architect, he said:
"Have you ever seen David Roberts' big illustrated volumes, 'Travels in the Holy Land'? If you haven't, look them up.Then you will see what kind of a city this city is.It's a city of Palestine.It's Jerusalem and Jaffa and Akka all over again."Features that Ought to be Noted by DayThe South GardensHedge.Idea suggested by W.B.Faville, of Bliss & Faville, architects, of San Francisco, and developed by John McLaren, landscape gardener and superintendent of the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, to give impression of old English wall.African dew plant grown in shallow boxes, two inches deep, covered with wire netting.
Design of entrance at Scott Street, by Joseph J.Rankin.
South Gardens, French in character, with suggestions of Spanish.
Planting by John McLaren.
In center, "Fountain of Energy," by A.Stirling Calder, acting chief of sculpture; French influence.Expresses triumph of energy that built the canal.Youth on horseback, standing in stirrups, "Energy." Figures on shoulders, "Fame" and "Valor." Figures on globe, two hemispheres;Western, bull-man; Eastern, lioness-woman.Figures on base, sea-spirits.
Upright figure on globe, Panama.Large figures in pool, the oceans: The Atlantic, a woman with coral in her hair, riding on back of armored fish; North Sea, an Eskimo hunting on back of walrus; Pacific, a woman on back of large sea lion; and South Sea, a negro on back of trumpeting sea-elephant.Sea-maidens on dolphins' backs, in pool.
To right and left, in front of Festival Hall, and Horticultural Palace, at ends of long pools, French fountain of "The Mermaid," figure, by Arthur Putnam, of San Francisco.
To right, large building, Festival Hall, by Robert Farquhar, of Los Angeles; French theatre architecture.Studied from the theatres of the Beaux Arts style of French architecture.Details, French Renaissance developed from the Italian influence.
To right, Press Building, designed and built by the Exposition; Harris H.D.Connick, Director of Works.
To left, large building, Palace of Horticulture, Bakewell & Brown, architects.
To left, Young Women's Christian Association.
French light standards, by Walter D'Arcy Ryan and P.E.Denneville.
French ornamental vases, filled with flowers, by E.F.Champney.
The wall, by Faville, with ornamental Spanish entrances, runs around main courts and palaces, making the walled city.Tiled roofs suggesting mission architecture, associated with early California missions, a style developed from the Spanish.
Four smaller towers, two on either side of large tower, by George W.
Kelham, of San Francisco; Italian Renaissance.
Sand on walks, selected by Jules Guerin for its pink color to harmonize with color scheme.Binds together buildings, its pink harmonizing with pink of walls.Grains of sand in walks translucent.
Flag poles, ornamented with gilt star, by Faville.Orange-colored streamers by Guerin.
Heraldic designs related to history of Pacific Coast, by Ryan.
Thoroughfare running along wall and lined with palms, Avenue of Palms.
Equestrian statue, to right of Tower of Jewels, by Charles Niehaus, "Cortez," conquerer of Mexico.
Equestrian statue, to left, by Charles Cary Rumsey, "Pizarro," conqueror of Peru.Fine in action and spirit.
Tower of JewelsMain tower breaking southern wall, facing South Gardens, the Tower of Jewels, by Thomas Hastings, of Carrere & Hastings, New York.Developed from Italian Renaissance architecture, with Byzantine modifications, and designed to suggest an Aztec tower; 433 feet high; original intention to make it 100 feet higher.
Inscriptions on wall at base of tower chosen by Porter Garnett of Berkeley, explain steps that led to building of Panama Canal, celebrated by Exposition.On both sides of inscriptions Roman fasces denoting public authority.From left to right: "1501 Rodrigo de Bastides pursuing his course beyond the West Indies discovers Panama"; "1513 Vasco Nunes de Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama and discovers the Pacific Ocean"; "1904 the United States, succeeding France, begins operations on the Panama Canal"; "1915 the Panama Canal is opened to the commerce of the world."Large Composite columns on base.Arched capitals with acanthus, ornamented with the American eagle, the nude figure of child, and ornamental design suggesting California fruits.Colored to resemble Sienna marble.
Corinthian columns at either side, eagles at corners of capital, human head above.
