It all began with the expansion of the Panama Canal \u2014 and a desire to capitalize on its entry into San Diego.<\/p>\n
As the venerable Balboa Park celebrates the 100-year mark since the momentous occasion, several local organizations are pausing and reflecting on the milestone for a landmark that initially did not have a long-term prognosis in the community.<\/p>\n
Beginning this Saturday, Jan. 31, the San Diego History Center (SDHC) will kick off its latest exhibit, \u201cSan Diego Invites the World: The 1915 Expo.\u201d The 14-month display will run through the end of March 2016.<\/p>\n SDHC Spokesman Matthew Schiff said the organization this year is placing an emphasis on the Panama-California Exposition that served as the lynchpin to Balboa Park\u2019s very existence. The new exhibit will feature rarely seen silent film footage of the expo, photos of the event and showcase unique memorabilia.<\/p>\n One of the most notable aspects of the 1915 exposition was a rivalry that took place between exposition organizers in San Diego and San Francisco. During that pivotal year, the large-scale event took place in both cities.<\/p>\n As the history books show, the leaders of both cities had something to prove, albeit for very different reasons. The more established San Francisco \u2014 at the time, sporting a more robust population than its southernmost Californian neighbor \u2014 was re-emerging from a series of natural disasters.<\/p>\n But San Diego was evolving in its own right, clamoring for the prospect of an economic boost from ship traffic and a growing tourism base. The Panama-California Exposition was the perfect backdrop for these efforts.<\/p>\n Both expositions drew large crowds. As he and other SDHC organizers poured over historic documents, Schiff said the rivalry between the two cities was stark.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s actually some pretty funny ad material out there,\u201d Schiff said. \u201cThey clearly tried to show up one another.\u201d<\/p>\n While both cities\u2019 1915 expositions drew packed crowds, what took place from 1916 onward was markedly different. Not long after San Francisco wrapped its expo, most of the buildings were razed, and building materials were used for scrap.<\/p>\n By contrast, San Diego\u2019s expo, of course, evolved into Balboa Park and stands as a monument to the city\u2019s rich cultural landscape.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat most people don\u2019t know is the buildings [within Balboa Park] were intended to serve as temporary structures for the 1915 expo,\u201d Schiff said.<\/p>\n In addition to the upcoming exposition exhibit, SDHC has been screening a film, \u201cBalboa Park: The Jewel of San Diego.\u201d Throughout 2015, the organization will hold thrice-daily screenings of the documentary and a glimpse into the park\u2019s past.<\/p>\n Another Balboa Park-based organization, the San Diego Art Institute, has also unveiled a new exhibit that serves as a hat-tip to the centennial milestone.<\/p>\n On Jan. 23, SDAI took the wraps off its latest show, \u201cSan Diego Keeps Her Promise: Balboa Park at 100.\u201d It runs through Sunday, Feb. 22.<\/p>\n Ginger Shulick Porcella, SDAI executive director, organized the show with Francis French, director of education at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. Shulick Porcella described the show as a \u201cmultisensory approach\u201d toward the park\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Local artists created a series of exhibits \u2014 some based on sight, others on sound or smell. Regardless of the specific exhibit, Shulick Porcella said the goal behind the nearly two-dozen stations is to give a glimpse into Balboa Park\u2019s past, present and envisioned future.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are going to be a lot of [centennial-related] shows this year, and we wanted to do something quite different,\u201d Shulick Porcella said. \u201cThere are some really meaty pieces in this show, and we are going to share some facts most people don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n For Shulick Porcella, who joined SDAI a year ago, planning \u201cSan Diego Keeps Her Promise\u201d has been a crash course in learning about Balboa Park.<\/p>\n \u201cThe nice thing about this exhibit is there really is something for everyone,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be featuring a wide range of different mediums. Everyone is going to have their own favorite piece.\u201d<\/p>\n For information on the different events taking place to commemorate Balboa Park\u2019s centennial celebration in 2015, visit celebratebalboapark.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"3536](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Uptown-Balboa-Park-History-7webtop.jpg\")
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also sought to promote itself as a land of opportunity.
(Courtesy San Diego History Center)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"One](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Uptown-Balboa-Park-History-5web.jpg\")
(Courtesy San Diego History Center)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n