Boosting a New West: Pacific Coast Expositions, 1905 - 1916

Portland, Seattle, San Diego, and San Francisco all held fairs between 1905 and 1915. "Boosting a New West" explores the fairs' cultural and social meaning by focusing on and comparing the promotions that surrounded them. The marketing campaigns and vendor and exhibit choices expose biased racial attitudes and reveal western leaders' perceptions of their city and region, as well as how they attempted to shape a new western identity.