Visit the new exhibit in the Bancroft Library, The Grandeur of a Great Labor.
With highlights from the rich collections of The Bancroft Library, this exhibition examines the building of the Panama Canal and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the 1915 fair that celebrated the canal’s opening and the rise of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire.
Exploring the grand endeavors of both enterprises, this centennial exhibition illustrates the global impact of the canal and of San Francisco’s emergence on the national and world stage, as well as the broad human effort that was required to realize both achievements.
The Bancroft Library holds the official records of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition along with other rich documentation related to the fair. Some of the high points on view documenting the extravaganza of the fair include
- original art work created to promote the fair,
- three commemorative albums created for Charles Moore, the PPIE President,
- photographs including panoramas from official PPIE photographers, Cardinell-Vincent Company.
There are also a number of items on loan from UCB Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, including two Novagems from the Tower of Jewels and a number of commemorative bronzes. The section of the exhibition on the Panama Canal includes
- diaries,
- letters,
- caricatures,
- as well as a painting of the Chagres River by Norton Bush.
For a gallery of images and more background, see the story from the Berkeley News Center.
Where: The Bancroft Library Gallery
When: October 21, 2015 – February 26, 2016
Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00pm