On November 2, 1915, San Francisco threw open its gates to a glorious world's fair.

A reborn fog city hit the spotlight when the Panama-Pacific Exposition celebrated San Francisco Day. At around 348,472 attendees, the occasion brought in 70% of the city's population. As one of the largest events in SF history, the exposition was organized to commemorate the construction of the Panama Canal, as well as the city bouncing back after the 1906 earthquake. Attend this fantastical affair through vintage photos, drawings, and memorabilia.

PPIE Postcard

via California Historical Society

San Francisco was thrilled to invite the world to see the city. After all, we were able to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake and fire. Several beautifully detailed postcards, sheet music, souvenir books, and other paper ephemera were printed to commemorate the event.