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Portola Festival - 1909 - San Francisco, CA
Purpose: To celebrate 140th anniversary of discovery of San Francisco Bay by Portola party led by Sgt. Jose Francisco de Ortega; to celebrate "rising of a city from its ashes," resultant from 1906 earthquake and fire.
Organization: Festival Committee formed locally representing commercial, fraternal and civic organizations; modest grants by city, county and state but no Congressional appropriation. Federal government, however, did approve participation by U. S. Navy.
Site, Dates, Attendance: City-wide celebration; Oct. 19-24, 1909; out-of-town visitors approximated 1,000,000.
Comment: President Taft proposed toast "around the world" to San Francisco; invited foreign countries to send navies. Festival was 6-day carnival; streets "festooned with incandescent lamps"; at one intersection "10,000 globes...fashioned into . . . shape of . . . bell.”" Many Spanish-speaking countries were represented officially, along with warships of others. Celebration opened with reenactment of arrival through Golden Gate of Don Gaspar de Portola, first Spanish governor of California; passed in review before naval vessels; followed by daily parades, band concerts, masquerade balls— streets were "one vast ballroom," championship athletic events and historical pageant. Latter covered entire period from Portola to present day. Invitations to public to inspect warships attracted thousands.
Medals: This was Official Medal; designer and number struck unknown but today, piece is very rare. See also Part I, Portala Festival— 1913.
Obverse: In center, standing bear facing l.; above, on ribbon S. F. Portola Cal.; above Official Souvenir; below bear Festival / Oct. 19-23, 1909; around, both l. and r. borders, chain of buds or leaves.
Reverse: Standing male figure facing l. rear into sunset across bay; at r. foot, microscopic Pat / Apld / for; above, around Discovery of Boy of San Francisco / First Governor of California.; below figure Jan. 9, 1769. / By Gaspar De Portolo.
HK-389 - Bronze. Size 24.
 
Image provided by John Dean
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