Boosting a new West : Pacific Coast expositions, 1905-1916

Title:

Author:

Putman, John C., 1963- author.

Summary:

"Focusing on marketing campaigns as well as vendor and exhibit choices, Boosting a New West explores the cultural and social meaning of Portland, Seattle, San Diego, and San Francisco expositions held between 1905 and 1915, detailing biased racial attitudes, perceptions of the cities at the time, and local leaders' attempts to shape a new western identity."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

To host a fair : the Pacific Northwest -- Promoting the fairs -- Selling the promise of the Far West : Portland, Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest -- Selling nature and land(scapes) in the Pacific Northwest -- Race and empire in the Pacific Northwest -- Selling the promise of the Far West : San Diego, San Francisco, and the American Southwest -- Selling nature and land(scapes) in the American Southwest -- Race and empire in the American Southwest.

Physical Description:

306 pages ; 23 cm

Subject Term:

Exhibitions -- History -- 20th century.

Geographic Term:

West (U.S.) -- Social life and customs -- History -- 20th century.

Publisher:

WSU Press, Washington State University,

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9780874223811

Publication Information:

Pullman, Washington : WSU Press, Washington State University, [2020]

Call Number:

607.4 PUTMAN

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003487207	Adult Nonfiction	607.4 PUTMAN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Inspired by Chicago's successful 1893 World Columbian Exposition, the cities of Portland, Seattle, San Diego, and San Francisco all held fairs between 1905 and 1915. From the start of the Lewis and Clark Exposition to the close of the Panama-California Exposition a decade later, millions of Americans visited exhibits, watched live demonstrations and performances, and wandered amusement zones. Millions more thumbed through brochures or read news articles. Fair publicity directors embraced the emerging science of consumer marketing. Conceived to attract new citizens, showcase communities, and highlight farming and industrial opportunities, the four expositions' promotional campaigns and vendor and exhibit choices offer a unique opportunity to examine western leaders' perceptions of their city and region, as well as their future goals and how they both fed and tried to mitigate misconceptions of a wild, wooly West. They also expose biased attitudes toward Native Americans, Mexican Americans, Filipinos, and others. Boosting a New West explores the fairs' cultural and social meaning by focusing on and comparing the promotions that surrounded them. It details their origins and describes why each city chose to host, conveying the expected economic, social, and cultural benefits. It also shows how organizers articulated their significance to urban, regional, and national audiences, and how they attempted to shape a new western identity. Book jacket.

Author Notes

San Diego State University Associate Professor John C. Putman is a historian of the modern American West, particularly California and the Pacific coast states, and the author of Class and Gender Politics in Progressive-Era Seattle.

Illustrations	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
1 To Host a Fair: The Pacific Northwest	p. 11
2 Promoting the Fairs	p. 37
3 Selling the Promise of the Far West: Portland, Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest	p. 59
4 Selling Nature and Land(scapes) in the Pacific Northwest	p. 81
5 Race and Empire in the Pacific Northwest	p. 107
6 Selling the Promise of the Far West: San Diego, San Francisco, and the American Southwest	p. 145
7 Selling Nature and Land(scapes) in the American Southwest	p. 163
8 Race and Empire in the American Southwest	p. 193
Conclusion	p. 225
Notes	p. 231
Bibliography	p. 277
Index	p. 297

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Table of Contents