September 22, 2020 – December 31, 2020
We are pleased to present several rare and important vintage advertising posters for the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939-1940 on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of that enchanting event.
The Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939 and 1940 (GGIE) was held on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. The GGIE was open from February 18, 1939 through October 29, 1939 and from May 25, 1940 through September 29, 1940.
The GGIE celebrated, among other things, the completion of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937.
The theme of the GGIE was the “Pageant of the Pacific,” focusing on the goods of nations bordering the Pacific Ocean. The GGIE’s theme was physically symbolized by “The Tower of the Sun,” and an 80-foot-tall statue of “Pacifica” created by California’s dean of modernist sculpture, Ralph Stackpole. Pacifica was the goddess of the Pacific Ocean, representing world peace and the power of a united Pacific coast.
The art exhibition included as part of the GGIE comprised artworks by virtually every then-active artist in the State of California. And, importantly, the call went out to various artists and advertising agencies for designs for posters to advertise the GGIE. What was created are stunning images featuring the newly built bridges, the statue of Pacifica, and Miguel Covarrubias’ image of the flora and fauna of the Pacific, among other designs.
We are most honored to offer several vintage examples of the posters created to advertise the enchanting GGIE.
Artwork Featured in This Exhibition
