FEATURE
Twenty years ago this month:
Centennial of the Pan-American Exposition BY JUDITH A. RUCKI
Bird's-eye view of the Pan-American exposition in Buffalo, May 1 to November 1, 1901; color lithograph, 1900
I
n 1901, Buffalo was the place to be. As the eighth-largest city in the US at the time and well-connected to the railroad network, it earned its place as site of the first Pan-American Exposition, a World’s Fair that highlighted cultures and achievements of Western Hemisphere Nations.
The original Exposition included a Midway, educational exhibits, and demonstrations of technological advancements, including electricity,
14
generated by the hydroelectric power of Niagara Falls. Unfortunately, the Exposition is often immediately associated with the assassination of
www.foreveryoungwny.com | July 2021
President William McKinley, who was shot at the Temple of Music. Even so, the Exposition benefited Buffalo; it drew more than eight million visitors, many of whom decided to make roots here, and opened entrepreneurs’ eyes to the city’s potential. Fast forward to 2001, centennial of the Pan-American Exposition. Buffalo was much changed and, as a result of building demolition that began in 1902, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, originally the New York State Pavilion, was the only remaining building from the first Exposition. To celebrate the Pan-Am centennial, The Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Buffalo and Erie County
Historical Society organized opening festivities. The Burchfield Penney Art Center hosted an exhibit called The Pan-American Exposition Centennial: Historic Collections/Hand in Hand: Aesthetics and Commerce at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Visit at burchfieldpenney.org to learn more. The State University of New York at Buffalo offered a series of lectures, plus a two-day slate of activities from the original Exhibition midway. The UB Gallery at the Center for the Arts mounted the largest public exhibit of Pan-American memorabilia, titled, Tangible Memories: Souvenirs of Buffalo’s Pan-American Exposition. Read more at buffalo.edu/ubreporter/archive2011. Former UB Dean of Arts and
