This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) in San Francisco. It was nothing short of a miracle that it even took place having to overcome the Great Earthquake of 1906 and the shadow of World War I hanging over the event even as the doors of the Expo opened in February 1915. However, for all that happened leading up the PPIE, it remains one of the most successful of all time – only the 1893 Colombian Expo was more profitable. If not for World War I, it could have easily surpassed the Colombian. It is a pretty amazing part of our local history.
Ed Bierman presented a short presentation on the events that lead up to the start of the Expo on Tuesday, June 9th. To add to that presentation here is an excellent documentary about the PPIE, probably from the early 1960s, that uses original footage to show all that the fair had to offer.
Enjoy watching.