The Avenue of Nations continued the Avenue of Palms westward past the south end of the Palace of Fine Arts. It then swung northwest across Presidio land to the Federal Concourse, where it crossed the Esplanade, and went on to meet the Marina at the bay. The foreign pavilions lined it. Some faced its southerly side, others filled the wedge of ground south of the Palace of Fine Arts. None stood north of the Esplanade, which was left to the State buildings.
Walking it from the palaces, a visitor met Cuba's rose-tinted tower closing the view down the Avenue of Palms. Then came Portugal and, across the way, the little town of Italy beside the Fine Arts arc, with Turkey and Siam nearby. Japan's garden faced Denmark across the avenue. Beyond, on rising ground, were France, Norway, Greece, Australia and New Zealand. Toward the Concourse, Bolivia and Sweden faced the south front of Canada. Todd counted 21 foreign pavilions. With the State buildings they formed 'a little city of grand and beautiful edifices.' The avenue was the route of parades, including the Zone Day pageant, and of the exposition tram, which ran northwest along it to the Marina and the Live Stock section.
These 49 foreign pavilions and State buildings, facing one another across the broad thoroughfare, made a little city of grand and beautiful edifices...
Frank Morton Todd, The Story of the Exposition, vol. III (1921), p. 191
At a glance
- Foreign section extended from the line of Lyon Street west to the Esplanade junction (Federal Concourse), on Presidio land (Todd).
- 21 foreign pavilions (Todd); the Official Guide counts 22.
- Foreign pavilion sites covered 49.7 acres (Condensed Facts).
Afterward
The pavilions were auctioned and wrecked by early 1917 (the Presidio lease ran to April 1917). The ground returned to the Presidio and later became part of the Crissy Field area.
The site today
Present-day photographs and video of this spot are being made for the film. You can stand there yourself: it is a stop on the self-guided walk.
On the walk: S24 The Avenue of Nations · Yacht Rd and Old Mason St
Yacht Rd at Old Mason St, east end of Crissy Field
Have a photo of this spot? Email it to hello@288days.com with code S24 and up to 50 characters of credit. It appears here and in the film.
Where it stood
Avenue of Nations stood at about 37.80032 N, 122.45366 W on today's map. The whole fairground over the city →
Sources
- Frank Morton Todd, The Story of the Exposition, vol. III (1921), ch. XXXIV, pp. 190-191 (extent and arrangement of the foreign section)
- Frank Morton Todd, The Story of the Exposition, vol. III (1921), ch. LVIII, pp. 309-310 (Federal Concourse)
- Frank Morton Todd, The Story of the Exposition, vol. III (1921), ch. LXXXI, p. 396 (turns into the Marina)
- Frank Morton Todd, The Story of the Exposition, vol. II (1921), ch. LXIX, p. 380 (tram route along the Avenue of Nations)
- Official Guide of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915), pp. 41-42
- Museum of the City of San Francisco, Panama-Pacific International Exposition Map (1915), layout of the foreign section