Panama California Exposition

Today began with an inauspicious start.  It was overcast, cloudy, and cold.  We decided we would see a sight, but the only one remotely interesting to us both was the San Diego Zoo.  However, tickets are $42, each.  One wonders how the average family performs the rite of family vacation at these prices.  We decided to drive up to Balboa Park and then decide about the zoo.  Upon arriving we discovered it was just as cold, cloudy and cold as it was in Chula Vista, and I didn't have enough clothing on.  Therefore, we would walk, for free.  Our path debouched into Spanish Village Art Center.  It was cheerful, there was shopping, so ok, moderately interesting.

We continued on, and discovered the buildings left from the 1915 Panama California Exposition.  Most of my pictures just do not do it justice.  It's just an amazing thing.  We had no idea all of this was up there.  This is the Casa del Prado Theater.

 

A detail from the other side of the building.

 

There are covered archways everywhere.

A carillon next to the California dome.

The California dome.

These guys are in a sculpture area.

 

There is outdoor sculpture.  This is a Henry Moore piece.  It doesn't really speak to me.

 

We went into the Timken Museum of Art.  They have a terrific showing of Russian icons and European art. The museum has benefited from the Putnam sisters, who collected much art during their day.

 

I love this.  These ladies are Fidelia and Speranza.  This is lifted from the Timken website.

• Benjamin West (American) portrays a scene from The Faerie Queene, a poem by Edmund Spenser celebrating Christian virtues. Fidelia (Faith), holding the New Testament, and her sister Speranza (Hope) wait for the arrival of the Red Cross Knight. The Knight, representing the human soul, is brought to the House of Holiness by Una (Truth) through the stormy landscape at left. West depicts the two women in classical dress. Their graceful posture and elegant gestures reflect West's admiration of the classical sculpture and work of the Old Masters that he encountered in Europe.

What I have not been able to determine, is why does she have a snake in her glass.  Does that look good to you?

 

By Pieter Claesz.  From 1627, a still life of food and smoking paraphernalia.  I love this school of painting.

 

In front of the Timken are ponds with lilies.  Are they not lovely?  There were also koi and turtles.

 

 

The lath Botanical Building was designed by Alfred Robinson specifically for the displaying of plants at the exposition.

 

Orchids.

 

 

Moss, epiphytes, ferns, and etc.

 

A cactus in bloom, it's sort of like a Christmas cactus only bigger with showier blossoms.

 

A Moreton Bay Fig.  It was planted for the exposition as the center of a formal garden.  It's still growing.  It's 80 feet tall ad the canopy width is 145 feet.  It's a big tree.

 

This is a root at the base, it's about 4 feet tall.

 

This is another formal garden.

 

Note the size of that tree.  It's also huge.

 

It's a different type of fig.  There are figs all over the boardwalk that goes around the tree.  There is smooshed fig in the tread of my shoes.  It's another big tree.

 

After all of this viewing we were glad we had not gone to the zoo.  The Exposition buildings and museums were much better.  We were feeling peckish and so went in search of lunch.  We had quiche in a little cafe and noticed the signs for the model railroad museum.  Not being a fan of the model railroad, I was neutral on going in, but Jim was interested so we went.  We spent close to 3 hours in there.  It absolutely exceeded expectations and completed the metamorphosis of a crappy kind of day, to a really fun day.  Tomorrow I will post pictures of the model railroads.  There are many photos and many words to look forward to.