The Panama-California Exposition was a world exposition held in San Diego, California, between January 1, 1915, and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first United States port of call for ships traveling north after passing westward through the canal. The fair was held in San Diego's large urban Balboa Park.
The film begins from a single-camera position high above the Exposition grounds. The camera begins to pan from left to right, following the horizon. The picture includes all of the spires and buildings of the fair. Then the camera is moved to the Exposition midway. Includes shots of the exposition buildings in Balboa Park, a bridge that cost a quarter of a million dollars [Cabrillo Bridge], the California Building, the Horticultural Building, the Panama Canal exhibit, the Isthmus (location of boardwalk and rolling chairs), the Panama Film company exhibit (where Fatty Arbuckle walks by the camer in street clothes), the lagoon with trained fish and the Plaza de Panama, where little children feed pigeons.
