
At a glance
Location
Berkeley Historical Society History Center
Veterans Memorial Building
1931 Center Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Price
Free
Hours
The Berkeley History Center is regularly open Thursday through Saturday, 1-4 PM. If coming from outside Berkeley, please call main information line in advance to confirm exhibit will be open on the day you are visiting.
Contact info
(510) 848-0181
berkeleyhistoricalsociety.org
Category
Exhibition
Options
- Near BART
- Near AC Transit
- Indoors
- Parking
- Wheelchair accessible
Berkeley Goes To the Fair!
BERKELEY GOES TO THE FAIR! examines the PPIE experience from the opposite side of the Bay. In 1915, the East Bay–and Berkeley in particular–looked out across the waters to the lights of the Jewel City, and connected to the Exposition in numerous ways. Berkeleyans had a hand in planning, designing, staging, and documenting the Exposition, from the Palace of Fine Arts designed by Berkeley architect Bernard Maybeck, to the PPIE “13th Labor of Hercules” poster painted by UC professor of art Perham Nahl, to the PPIE visit of the Liberty Bell (suggested by Berkeley civic leader Wells Drury). Berkeley, and other East Bay cities, also vigorously collaborated–and competed–with San Francisco for tourist dollars, convention visitors, favorable publicity, and new permanent residents and businesses generated by the PPIE. And, of course, thousands of Berkeleyans flocked to the PPIE to see the sights. The exhibit tells the story of the PPIE from the Berkeley viewpoint. It will also include a section on Berkeley and the 1939/40 Golden Gate International Exposition, and other 19th and 20th century fairs and expositions.