Dream City: The 1915 Panama-California Exposition

Balboa Park was described as the Dream City during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. To celebrate the centennial anniversary, this exhibition […]

Balboa Park was described as the Dream City during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. To celebrate the centennial anniversary, this exhibition highlights photographs taken by Francis Bruguière during that time.

Born in San Francisco, Francis Bruguière was a member of the Photo-Secession movement that sought to legitimize photography as a fine art medium, putting it on equal ground with painting and sculpture. Bruguière used soft focus exposures and subtle variations in tone to evoke associations with painting, especially the work of the Impressionists. Using these techniques, Bruguière captured the park’s Spanish-inspired architecture, creating an almost dream-like atmosphere in his photographs. These images offer us the fascinating chance to step back in time and experience the Dream City as it was originally conceived.