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Women and Gender Roles

During the Panama-Pacific International Exposition women were in charge of their own board known as the Woman’s Board of San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The board, also called the Boards of Lady Managers, allowed women to take part in organizing different aspects of the fair and more importantly gave them the opportunity to have a campaigning platform for discussing women’s rights and social issues. It was commonly argued that the fair celebrated male dominance over women by not providing a building for women. Also, men and women were depicted differently in artworks advertising the exposition. White women, specifically were presented as caretakers while men as strong and powerful saviors such as, in the poster “13^thLabor of Hercules.” At the time, there was an idea of a “New Woman” who was more progressive and advance intellectually as well as sexually. This idea of a “New Woman” related to the overarching theme of the fair, modernity and progress. In efforts to promote the fair and safety of the city, fair organizers used the “New Woman” as an advertising tactic and proof that San Francisco was an evolving and safe environment for tourists. During the fair, women could be seen posing with agriculture from around the state in celebration of California’s produce. All the women were young-beautiful white women who were often the highlight of many newspaper articles and events. This use of women, presented the idea that they were only useful for their beauty but failed to appreciate their intellectual capacity and physical abilities. One of the most memorable achievements of the Women’s Board was the installment of statue that celebrated women, specifically mothers known as the Pioneer Mother.

Indigenous Representation

Indian culture was a topic of interest during the nine-month-long exposition with multiple attractions dedicated to Indian life. The most popular attraction at the exposition that depicted Indian life is James Earle Fraser’s statue The End of the Trail.Fraser’s statue, which showed a Native American man slumped over on a horse, reflected the American idea at the time that the Native American race was doomed for extinction. The exposition not only celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal but also advances made by the American people part of which was the conquests of indigenous people by Americans as well as Europeans.These celebrations over the Native community can be seen through artworks such as The End of the Trail, and The Pioneeror tributes to Francisco Pizarro and Hernán Cortés.In comparison to previous world fairs, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition showcased Indians more as nobles rather than savage people but who were still inevitably destined to become extinct. These ideas were presented in plays, known as pageants where Native Americans played small roles such as in “Catalonian dragoons, muleteers, and a tribe of Carmel Indians.”While the demise of Native American people was a rhetoric created by fair organizers,scholars have argued that in reality the Native persona was very present and did not reflect the idea that it was a disappearing civilization. Indians were in fact part of the fair but attended as visitors, performers, and workers.More recently, scholars have focused on Native representation in San Francisco’s 1915 rival world fair, San Diego’s 1915 Panama-California Exposition that showed Indian life in a more anthropological light versus this American ideal.