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Shot by an unknown filmmaker, this silent 8mm home movie shows views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate International Exposition circa 1939-1940. The Exposition was held at San Francisco's Treasure Island, was a World's Fair celebrating, among other things, the city's two newly built bridges. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. The exposition opened from February 18, 1939, through October 29, 1939, and from May 25, 1940, through September 29, 1940.
The film begins with shots of the San Francisco Ferry Building at :23 and the Golden Gate Bridge at :43. At 1:07 are views of the Palace of Fine Arts. At 1:40, hills of San Francisco. At 1:44, a lighthouse shaped gas station (probably Standard Oil or ESSO). At 1:52 are views of the Cliff House and Sutro Baths. At 2:01 the "Tropic Beach" entrance to the Sutro Baths is shown. The Sutro Baths was a large, privately owned public saltwater swimming pool complex in the Lands End area of the Outer Richmond District. Built in 1896, the facility burned down in June 1966 and is now in ruins within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Sutro Historic District. At 2:28, views looking south towards Golden Gate Park and Playland. At 3:17, two gentlemen in hats greet one another on camera. At 3:38, sweeping views of the city of San Francisco. At 3:48, City Hall. At 4:23, a searchlight drives by, probably on its way to Treasure Island. Corner sign for Grove and Van Ness, 4:27. At 4:32, the exterior of the Powell Theater is shown and a cable car on the Powell line is seen moving onto the famous turntable. At 5:02, Union Square is shown and at 5:30 more sweeping shots of the city. Old St. Mary's Church appears at 6:00. At 8:30, shots of driving through rural land along a tree-lined road, and then highway areas outside the city at 8:49. At 9:04, the Southern Pacific ferry Alameda is shown on the Bay. Alameda was the first of three large-capacity ferries intended to transport passengers across San Francisco Bay. Southern Pacific Transportation Company and predecessor railroads had been operating ferries between San Francisco and Oakland, California since 1862. It was scrapped in 1948.
At 9:16 a title card announces the San Francisco World's Fair, and there are many exterior shots of the grounds and fountains. The theme of the exposition was "Pageant of the Pacific", as it showcased the goods of nations bordering the Pacific Ocean. The theme was physically symbolized by "The Tower of the Sun;" by an 80-foot statue of Pacifica, goddess of the Pacific ocean; and by architect Mark Daniels' Chinese village. At 12:43 is the Japanese Pavilion, notable since within two years of this film being shot the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
At 15:35 street scenes in San Francisco. At 17:05 a choir group (?) poses for the camera.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com
25 сен 2020
