The City of Domes

Chapter 21

Palaces facing Avenue of Palms, from east to west: Varied Industries, Manufactures, Liberal Arts, Education.

South facade of Palace of Varied Industries, by Faville. High walls, seventy feet in height, suggest eighteenth century California missions.

Green domes on corners, Byzantine, inspired by mosques of Constantinople.

Coloring of flags, cerulean blue, pastel red, and burnt orange.

Windows in corners, mosque design. Little hexagonal kiosks at corners below domes, Moorish.

Central portal, after portal of Santa Cruz Hospital, in Toledo, Spain.

Sixteenth century Spanish Renaissance, plateresque. Lattice-work effect in doorway in harmony with lace-like silver-platter style. Niche walls pink, with ultramarine blue.

Pope Calixtus III sent for a Spanish goldsmith, Diaz, to do work for him in Rome. Diaz returned to Spain, carrying the influence of the Italian Renaissance. He met the son of the architect of the cathedral at Toledo, De Egas. To the son he imparted his knowledge and the son applied it to architecture, creating the plateresque style. Till then all Spanish cathedrals had shown the Gothic influence from the north.

Figures on large door by Stackpole. Upper figures, "Age Transferring His Burden to Youth," America. Figure in center piece of arch, "Power of Industry," the American workman. Figures in half circle above door, "Varied Industries," from left to right, Spinning, Building, Agriculture, Manual Labor, and Commerce. Figure repeated four times in lower niches, "Man with the Pick."

"California Bear" and "California Shield" on b.u.t.tresses, or square columns supporting wall. Used in old mission buildings.

Avenue of Progress

Planting, some of the best landscape effects in Exposition. Against buildings, Monterey cypress; banked by Lawson cypress in front and between these, spruces and Spanish fir.

Machinery Palace, Ward & Blohme, of San Francisco, architects. Italian Renaissance, inspired by Roman baths. Like Baths of Caracalla. Largest building of its kind in world; three blocks long, seven acres in area.

Banners, by Ryan, heraldic designs of early Spanish explorers and soldiers.

Lophantha lawn, designed by John McLaren, trees trimmed off four feet above ground, and trained to grow flat alongside Palace of Varied Industries.

East facade of Varied Industries, made Italian to harmonize with Italian Machinery Palace.

Main portal, like gateways of old Roman walled cities.

"The Miner," in niches of gateway, by Albert Weinert of New York.

Small portals Italian, fine color effect; lattice-work, orange, blue, light green".

Sculpture on Machinery Palace, by Haig Patigian, of San Francisco.

Large columns in front and in vestibule of half dome, imitation Sienna marble.

Small portals, orange columns at sides, pink niche, blue dome, orange above dome; pleasing tone,

Corinthian columns at sides of portals; eagles at corners of capitals, at top, symbolize inspiration.

Frieze around drums at base of columns "Genii of Machinery," by Haig Patigian; eyes closed, signifying Power of the spirit, or blind fate.

Figures in triangular s.p.a.ces on either side above doorways, "Application of Power to Machinery," by Haig Patigian.

Figures on tall Sienna marble columns, "Power," "by Haig Patigian.

"Steam Power," with lever. "Invention," carrying figure with flying wings, suggesting quickness of mind. "Imagination, eyes closed. Eagle bird of inspiration, about to fly. "Electricity," foot on earth, carrying symbol.

Eagles repeated on bar, the entablature, across front of domes; symbol of inspiration.

Coloring in vestibule of Machinery Palace: Finely harmonized; brown and brick-colored walls; orange and blue ceilings; green lattice work.

"Genius of Creation," group before court leading to Court of Ages, Daniel Chester French. Spirit above, a woman, creating life from shapeless ma.s.s of earth below. Man at left, courageous and enterprising; woman at right, timid, hesitating. Serpent, symbol of wisdom, coiled about ma.s.s.

Court of Mines, Leading to Court of Ages

Coloring, pink walls, pink streamers, by Guerin. Green sh.e.l.l lamp posts, by McKim, Mead & White, architects. Called "Pink Alley" by workmen during construction.

Palaces on sides of court: to the north, Mines; to the south, Varied Industries.

Lamp standards against walls, dark bronze, smoked ivory globes, by Faville.

Flat Ionic columns, called pilasters, against walls, by Faville.

Figure in niches, "The Miner," by Albert Weinert.

Court of the Ages

Court of Ages, Louis Christian Mullgardt, of San Francisco, architect.

Most original of the courts. Faint influence of Spanish Gothic, Romanesque, French, Moorish. Richness and profusion. Suggests evolution of man.

Palaces around court: northeast, Mines; northwest, Transportation; southwest, Manufactures; southeast, Varied Industries,

Decorations on columns of archways around court, kelp, crabs, lobsters, and other sea animals. Vertical lines in columns suggest falling water.

Fairy lamps, two in each archway, delicately designed.

"Primitive Man and Woman," by Albert Weinert, repeated alternately above corridors around court. Man, a hunter, feeding pelican. Woman, the child-bearer.

Tower at north entrance, suggestive of French cathedral architecture, ma.s.sive, but gives appearance of lightness. One of the great successes of the Exposition.

"The Rise of Civilization," groups of sculpture on tower, by Chester Beach. Central idea, evolution, Stone Age, Mediaeval Age, and Present Age. "Primitive Man," lowest group, just above great reptiles in foreground. Man is holding child and protecting mate. "Mediaeval Age"

directly above, Crusader in center, Priest and Warrior on sides. The candlesticks on sides of crusader, used in mediaeval churches, the light of understanding. On sides of altar, "Modern Man and Woman," struggling for freedom from the physical to the spiritual. "Spirit of Intelligence"

enthroned above; on one side, child with book; on the other side, child with wheel of industry.

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