Tower of Jewels (Panama–Pacific International Exposition)

The Tower of Jewels served as the centerpiece for the nineteen fifteen Panama-Pacific International Exposition, a world’s fair held in San Francisco to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. Architect Thomas Hastings designed the structure as a combination of a triumphal arch and a tower, rising four hundred thirty-five feet above the fairgrounds. It was built of staff—a mixture of plaster and fiber—over a steel and wood frame, intended to be a temporary beacon during the exposition.