Wednesday, April 8, 2009

San Diego 1935: Spanish Village.....

Spanish Village was situated along the northern section of the California-Pacific International Exposition's Avenida de Espana, and occupied the former site of the 1915-16 exposition's Southern California Model Citrus Grove. The large enclosure was designed to create the illusion of old Spain, and contained narrow cobblestoned streets lined with low thick-walled buildings featuring weathered walls, tile roofs, arched doorways, grilled windows, overhanging balconies, wrought-iron lighting fixtures, and colorful flower-pots and awnings. Throughout the village were located more than fifty stores and shops selling a variety of handcrafted items, such as jewelry, pottery, and various types of artwork; in addition to a small art museum which contained a private collection of rare Spanish works of art, valued at more than $300,000. Small food stands sold candies, pastries, and other edibles; and a large restaurant, specializing in authentic Spanish cuisine, featured continuous live entertainment and dancing. Opposite Spanish Village, on the west side of the Avenida de Espana, was located the Hollywood Potteries Building; which contained many varieties of unique pottery and dinnerware, crafted by California artists.

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