Fairs & the PPIE of 1915

We are fortunate to have a wealth of Web sites with images, history, and original source research about the PPIE of 1915 in San Francsico's Presidio.

Since joining the San Francisco Bay Area Post Card Club and hearing a slide-talk on the PPIE of 1915 with historic post cards, gems, and ephemera from the actual exposition, I have been hooked on the 1915 PPIE and it's history. This fair was significantly important to the growth of our local culture and commerce, and it was also a world-wide event with international impact.

The Exposition was economically noteworthy since it told the world that San Francisco and the Bay Area had recovered from the catastrophic earthquake and fire of 1906. Pre-earthquake, San Francisco and the Bay Area had been thriving centers of tourism, shipping, and commerce. Post-1906, many potential residents, visitors and businesses became afraid to tour, invest, or live in the Bay Area. The PPIE of 1915 marked an end to those concerns on a world-wide scale.

Santa Clara Valley had an exposition hall at the fair which highlighted the agricultural and mechanical innovations in this valley. In 1915 the Valley of Heart's Delight was considered to be the epicenter of agricultural innovation and a world-wide leader in new canning and fruit-drying practices, as well as machinery technology. 

Likewise, area winemakers also had an exhibition hall at the PPIE, with wine competitions taking place on a global scale. Many Santa Clara Valley winemakers won top honors internationally for their champagne, wines, brandies, and other spirits.

I have divided PPIE of 1915 resources below in two sections. One section is for Santa Clara Valley history and the PPIE of 1915. The second section is for general PPIE information and history, all from sources I feel are fairly reliable on the Web. This page will be updated with new resources as they are located, as the subject is one of my passions.

Santa Clara Valley and the PPIE of 1915: 

• Santa Clara University Archives: PPIE & Anderson-Barngrover Manufacturing/FMC image
• The Internet Archive: Digital Book: A Souvenir of Pioneer and Old Settler's Day, PPIE, October 16, 1915 
• Library of Congress: Californian's Tell How the City Won the World's Fair, The San Francisco Call., February 05, 1911, Page 18, Image 18. 
• San Jose Public Library: Resource list
• San Jose Chamber of Commerce Booklet: San Jose: Garden City of California, Welcomes the World. (Images.) 

Pacific Coast Lumberman's House of Hoo Hoo, SF PPIE 1915

General PPIE of 1915 Resources:

• The Exploratorium: PPIE of 1915 in 3D
• FoundSF.org: The 1910s in essays and photos
• Friends of the San Francsico Exposition (Pipe) Organ: PPIE of 1915 Images and History
• Google Image Collection: PPIE 1915 SF
• The Internet Archive: PPIE of 1915 Documents and Photos
• Market Street Railway (Preserving Historic Transport in SF): PPIE of 1915
• National Park Service: PPIE of 1915: Background and Photos
• The Online Archive of California: PPIE of 1915: Image Collections
• Pat Hathaway Photo Collection: PPIE of 1915 (Charles Z. Bailey, Photographer) 
• Remnants of a Dream: Locating the Remains of the PPI5 of 1915
• San Francisco Bay Area Post Card Club (at Fort Mason): PPIE of 1915
• San Francisco City Guides (Essay): PPIE of 1915
• San Francisco Fire Department Museum: PPIE of 1915: Fire Engines and Manpower
• San Francisco Memories: The PPIE of 1915
• San Francisco Public Library: PPIE of 1915 Virtual Tour and Digitized Images by Subject
• The Smithsonian: PPIE of 1915
• University of California, Berkeley: PPIE of 1915/Environmental Design and Architecture
• The Virtual Archive of the City of San Francisco: PPIE of 1915: Description of the Exposition Site

---Catherine Alexander Bright, SiliconValleyLibrarian.org