These two July 1956 images show the flags that lined the path into San Diego’s Balboa Park for the inaugural Fiesta del Pacifico. According to the SD Union-Tribune, it began on July 18, 1956, and was a
Spanish-flavored summertime promotion built around an outdoor pageant in Balboa Stadium called, “The California Story.” The pageant featured 1,300 performers in a retelling of California history in two acts, with music by Meredith Willson.
In the first photo, you’ll notice the little A-Frame promoting Robin Hood, which was being performed at the Starlight Theater in Balboa Park for the 1956 Summer Season:
This 1950s image shows the San Diego Museum of Art and a number of vintage autos:
The below shot shows the Home Economy Building from the 1915 Exposition that once stood to the right of the Museum:
It was torn down in 1963 and replaced by the Timken Museum of Art (shown below). I’m not sure why they chose this contemporary design which stands out like a sore thumb from the rest of the Exposition structures, but I would guess that someone from the Frank L. Hope and Associates architectural firm wanted to put their personal stamp on it. And they sure did. At least the art inside is stellar.
See more Balboa Park in San Diego photos at my main website.
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