1915 Munsell Chase City Plan or Map of San Francisco, California

This is a 1915 J. Munsell Chase city plan or map of San Francisco, California, published as a guide during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The fairgrounds near the Presidio are highlighted in red, as are major streets. City parks (including Golden Gate Park), squares, and cemeteries are shaded green. San Francisco's many piers are identified as well.

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE)

The Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) was a world's fair held in San Francisco between February 20 and December 4, 1915. Ostensibly, the fair was intended to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was also an opportunity for San Francisco to showcase its remarkable recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fire. The fair was constructed on a 635-acre site (shaded in red) along the northern shore now known as the Marina District. It showcased American industry, progress, and prosperity. The exhibition's pièce de resistance was the 'Tower of Jewels', a 435-foot tower covered in glass Novagems illuminated by powerful searchlights. Little remains of the original fair grounds, except for the Palace of Fine Arts - although the current iteration matches the original, it was completely rebuilt in the 1960s to be more permanent and seismic-resistant.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn and designed by Arthur Reichert and published by J. Munsell Chase in 1915. Chase published at least three editions of the present map, the first appearing in 1913. The subsequent 1917 edition was 'revised' from the present 1915 edition.