International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

Two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHE R August, 1934 THE ONE GREAT WONDER By THE EDITOR "* JUDGING by recent issues of the public prints Q 1 in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, \^A* the Western Coast of the United States is taking first steps toward the building of three great expositions to be held at times soon to be definitely announced in the three cities here named. The San Diego Exposition is to be held first — in 1935. The Los Angeles Exposition, with a strong Spanish-American keynote, to follow in 1938 and San Francisco, in celebration of the completion of her great bridges, to bring up the rear slightly later. San Diego already has much of the physical structure of her exposition plant in the site and buildings of her exposition of 1915 and 1916. All she would have to do is to install certain new attractions and exhibits and institute some novel scheme of pageantry and entertainment. Los Angeles would have to start from scratch, as also San Francisco, notwithstanding the latter's successful World's Fair of 1915. Notwithstanding present day conditions, it is not out of place to predict three separate successes in these three projects, for the West Coast is due for a few "time-keepers of progress," as President MeKinley called expositions, and by the time they can be built, our national economic house can be put in order again. "The Century of Progress" at Chicago was a tremendous success in 1933 and is doing pretty well at this writing. In fact if it had not been that the great Mississippi Valley is one vast conflagration this year, 1934, it would probably be doing as well right now. There is nothing so interesting or intriguing as a World's Fair, nor is there anything so good for the community holding it when the event is put over in a successful way. San Diego and San Francisco are coming back for more, and Los Angeles had a taste of World's Fair spirit in the recent Olympic Games. The International Photographer can see great things for the West Coast in the holding of these three expositions and pledges its best efforts to help make them successful financially, economically, socially, artistically and every other way. In this connection, the editor has a plan to propose for the consideration of the builders of the Los Angeles exposition and also of those of the big show at San Francisco, providing the plan should not be accepted by Los Angeles. There would not be time for San Diego to give it consideration. Most expositions would have been financially successful if it had not been that, after the close of their terms of exhibition, they were forced to spend most of their profits restoring their exhibition sites to their original condition— the wonderful dream cities their promoters had built had to be utterly destroyed at their promoters' expense. The big, central idea, therefore, would be to create something that would be permanent and permanently profitable. Consider, therefore, with the writer, in thoughtful amazement, this plan for an exposition to be permanently profitable. In the first place the idea must be novel and should be practical. We people of these days know all the wonders of these times. The Chicago Fair has put all these wonders under one roof and gathered them into one place — and they have done well, but we are not amazed, because we live with these wonders every day — they are in every city and in every home. What then is different? THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD! The Hanging Gardens of Rabylon. The Pharos of Alexandria. The Colossus of Rhodes. The Great Pyramid of Egypt. The Temple of Diana at Ephesus. The Temple of Jupiter at Olympia. The Mausoleum of Artemisia. Where are they? Who has seen them? Who would not love to see them? There's the Riggest Show on Earth — profitable — forever ! Could all these world wonders be brought together in Los Angeles? Would they be congruous? Is the idea practical? The first and only other time this idea was given publicity by the author was in the KANSAS CITY STAR, July, 1908. It attracted great attention and architects and builders were of the opinion that there was nothing impossible about the project. It was conceded that the Hanging Gardens of Rabylon could be fashioned into a fairyland of delight, adorned as they would be with the myriad plants, trees, vines and flowers; fountains, cascades, restaurants, dancing platforms, vari-colored lights etc. These gardens were built for the Empress Semiramis by her husband that she might not long too sadly for her home in the northern hills. They were built of terraces superimposed upon great arches of stone. The Pharos of Alexandria was built by Ptolemy Philadelphus, at Alexandria. It was the daddy of all light houses. It was 600 feet high and contained more than 300 rooms — an exposition within itself. It was colorful and awe-inspiring — verily a volcano on a pedestal. At the exposition it would have modern elevators and would house thousands of exhibits. It would be an astonishingly beautiful object when lighted at night and would constitute the greatest beacon and observation tower in the world. The Colossus of Rhodes was the figure of a gigantic man constructed of brass plates which stood at the harbor entrance on the Island of Rhodes. At the exposition a lagoon would be substituted for the harbor entrance. It stood for more than 600 years and was thrown down by an earthquake. The junk dealer who bought it required 900 camels to carry it away. It would be put to novel usage during the period of our exposition. The Great Pyramid would be built mathematically correct, with the outside casing of polished stone and the interior passages and chambers except that it would, of course, not be built solidly of stone. This replica would be constructed of reinforced concrete and divided into floors for exhibits. There would be enough floor space in this one unit to accommodate an entire exposition like our smaller ones. It would be equipped with elevators, stairways, ramps and an observatory platform near the apex. The Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, one of the most brilliantly beautiful buildings ever erected on earth, would make a glorious Gallery of the Fine Arts, both during and after the Exposition.