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Arts & Culture

1915 EXPO CENTENNIAL: Rare Expo Black & White Film, Foreign Arts Building, San Diego History Center Ephemera, Expo Historic Artifacts

Construction of Cabrillo Bridge, 1914.
Courtesy of the San Diego History Center
Construction of Cabrillo Bridge, 1914.

Airs Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV

The 1915 EXPO CENTENNIAL series uses rare, historic black and white photos and film to tell the story of City Park and how the Exposition was planned.

The series promises to give television viewers a unique glimpse into the 1915 Exposition.

Find out how City Park was planned and meet the key city leaders who created the urban park for San Diego.

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Learn about Balboa Park's architectural and landscaping designs, world-renowned architects, rare historic black and white photos and film that show unique aspects of the fair.

We'll also show you rare artifacts from the 1915 Exposition and unique behind the scenes tours of the park, museum vaults and historic buildings.

Statues of Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Zurbarán and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, famous 17th Century Spanish artists, Balboa Park.
Courtesy of the San Diego History Center
Statues of Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Zurbarán and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, famous 17th Century Spanish artists, Balboa Park.

Episode 3: "Rare Expo Black & White Film, Foreign Arts Building, San Diego History Center Ephemera, Expo Historic Artifacts" - Historic black and white photos and film show great detail of how Balboa Park was constructed, and how the 1915 Expo was planned.

Construction of Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
Courtesy of the San Diego History Center
Construction of Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

While there are thousands of photos from the era that depict the exterior buildings, there are a few, rare photos that show the inside.

See ephemera that demonstrates the ingenious and successful marketing strategies used to attract visitors from the East Coast to San Diego.

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And you'll want to see how the Piccirilli Brothers from New York would create spectacular ornamentation for various park buildings.

Did you miss the first two episodes? Watch them below now!

Balboa Park is on Facebook, Google +, and you can follow @BalboaPark on Twitter.

All past episodes of SAN DIEGO'S HISTORIC PLACES are available for streaming on demand.

As San Diego continues to grow, the shrinking inventory of historic homes and public spaces becomes even more important. SAN DIEGO'S HISTORIC PLACES, hosted by Elsa Sevilla, shares tales from the past, reigniting the love affair with San Diego's special places. Sevilla Productions is on Facebook.