Monday, March 23, 2009

San Diego 1935: House of Pacific Relations.....

Situated on the west side of the Callé Prensa, across from the Christian Science Monitor Building, was a group of fifteen small structures known collectively as the House of Pacific Relations. The tile-roofed Mediterranean-style cottages, located on the former site of the 1915-16 exposition's Montana State Building, were arranged around a tree-shaded park and housed representatives of the twenty-one nations that participated in the California-Pacific International Exposition. A curved row of flagstaffs, placed at the main entrance to the House of Pacific Relations group, flew the colorful flags of the participating nations; while a meandering pathway circled the landscaped park and provided access to the various national cottages. The countries of England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Italy, China, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Uruguay, Honduras, Paraguay, Nicaragua, and Argentina shared their unique customs and cultures in a spirit of international peace and amity. During the course of the exposition each participating nation presented a two-day program, broadcast by radio throughout the United States, highlighting the characteristic music, songs, and dances of its people.

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