On the high ground south of Japan's gardens stood what Todd called 'the really palatial structure' that was Guatemala's home. It was a domed building with a ribbed octagonal dome and richly ornamented doors and windows, designed by the San Francisco architect G. Albert Lansburgh. It had about 10,310 square feet of floor, more than 9,400 of it for exhibits, in a central hall with a broad second-floor gallery. A full-length portrait of President Manuel Estrada Cabrera, who ruled Guatemala as a dictator from 1898 to 1920, looked down on the hall.
The cases held coffee, served at set hours, 90 kinds of hardwood, 260 ores, a stuffed quetzal and school work. The great attraction was the Hurtado brothers' marimba band (Todd spells it "Hurtada"), which played several times a week to crowds that ended up sitting on the stairs. As a special favor the international jury judged Guatemala's exhibits in the pavilion itself.
