The Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) (1939 and 1940), held at San Francisco’s Treasure Island, was a World’s Fair celebrating, among other things, the city’s two newly built bridges. The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge opened in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937.
The exposition opened from February 18, 1939, through October 29, 1939, and from May 25, 1940, through September 29, 1940; it drew 17 million visitors to Treasure Island.
Losing money, the organizers petitioned under reorganization laws and closed the fair earlier than planned on October 29, 1939. Efforts to reopen the fair in 1940 were initially abandoned in early December 1939 before a compromise was ultimately reached before the end of December; a frantic reorganization ensued to open a partially revamped fair for a second shorter season in 1940.
Here below is a set of vintage postcards that shows the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939 and 1940.
Chinese Village, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco
Aerial Scenic Highway Over San Francisco-Oakland Bridge, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco
By Night, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco
California Auditorium, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco
California Buildings, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco
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