Beginning with the First Exhibition held in 1756 in London, world’s fairs have tantalized and astonished audiences. In addition to being launching pads for such innovations as popcorn, the telephone, Ferris wheel, wireless telegraph, and ice skating rink, they also introduced gardening breakthroughs like the chainsaw and soilless gardening, as well as a host of plants from around the world. And they have showcased the work of renowned architects and landscape architects, including Frederick Law Olmsted.
San Francisco enjoys a notably rich history of world’s fairs, from the 1894 Mid-Winter Exposition to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition to the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939-40. Many of the city’s exquisite landscape features date to these fairs. Popular speaker and garden historian
Cathy Jean Maloney will present an engaging overview of the groundbreaking gardens and landscapes of the major world’s fairs in the U.S., paying particular attention to San Francisco. Using images from her extensive research, Cathy will show how the horticultural innovations and landscapes of world’s fairs affect how we garden in our own yards and enjoy our public spaces even today.
This event is co-sponsored by the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art – Northern California Chapter and the Daniel E. Koshland San Francisco History Center at the San Francisco Public Library.
Date and time: Thursday, June 20, 20136 p.m. Check-in, registration, reception, and book signing 7- 8 p.m.
Registration: $35 Members of the Garden Conservancy, the San Francisco History Center, and the ICAA, $40 General admission
Register online at www.gardenconservancy.org or call the Garden Conservancy in San Francisco at 415.441.4300.
