Elaborate Bandstands for Special Events

Bandstand. Elevation rendering in color, with plan and side elevation, 1849 March 7. Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Although the above drawing doesn't look like the bandstand, or gazebo that we're familiar with today, if you look at the artist's side view sketch on the bottom right you see how it resembles the modern version in a majestic way. This is the sketch was the architectural drawing examination submission by student Richard Morris Hunt in 1849 at the Ecole des beaux-arts in Paris. We don't know what mark Hunt attained for his submission, but he must have passed since he went on to become an architect. 

When the 1900 World's Fair was held in Paris, the Exposition had its share of musical venues including an elaborate wooden bandstand with lacy fretwork where the American composer, John Philip Sousa, led his band in his own 1896 composition of Stars and Stripes Forever. 

Paris Exposition 1900--Sousa's band--"Stars & Stripes forever", c1900. Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

The Iolani Bandstand in Honolulu, Hawaii was built in 1883 for the coronation of King Kalakaua. Twenty-five feet across and constructed of wood, the bandstand featured a domed roof of green tiles with recessed dormers featuring international crests. 

Iolani Bandstand, King & Richards Streets, Honolulu, Honolulu County, HI, 1883. Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

After the second time the structure was repaired from heavy insect damage from termites and other insects, the balustrade and wood pillars were replaced with ones cast in concrete. As of 1972, the pavilion was still in use as a bandstand while the lower level is used for the storage of grounds maintenance equipment. 

Iolani Bandstand, King & Richards Streets, Honolulu, Honolulu County, HI, after 1933. Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

We find a similar domed style in Calgary, Alberta, albeit without the false dormers, when this bandstand was built at the streetcar terminus in Tuxedo Gardens. It was one of several elegant additions to the city's park system when in 1910, the Board hired Richard Iverson as park superintendant. A self-professed landscape artist who had previously worked in the German Imperial Gardens after graduating from the University of Berlin with the highest honors, Iverson had a dream to create expansive parks lined with shady boulevards and filled with gardens, nurseries, statuary, bandstands and playgrounds to help the public enjoy their leisure time.

Streetcar terminus, Centre Street North, Calgary, Alberta, 1913-1919. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

The domed bandstand in Calgary's Tuxedo Gardens was only in use from 1913-1916 and had disappeared by 1919. Although I couldn't find a reason why it was demolished, I wondered if it had been due to a structural issue. (I suppose it was a doomed bandstand and not just a domed one.)

The Board considered park development to be a necessity to Calgary's success and went along with Iverson's extravagant plans, including a bandstand fit for royalty. Built on St. George's Island on the Bow River which runs through Calgary, the 2-tier bandstand was started in 1910 and finished in 1911. 

Bandstand on St. George's Island, Calgary, Alberta, ca.1912. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

Bandstand on St. George's Island, Calgary, Alberta, ca.1913. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

By 1913 however, the dreamer Iverson had proved himself a terrible administrator and had a problem taking advice. Faced with over-budget and half-finished construction jobs, the Board hired a local gardener, William R. Reader to take over as Park Superintendent. Reader believed that parks were for the people and had a passion to use park space for activities that didn't taxpayers sweat to worry over. Among his simple achievements were loudspeakers around a lagoon so people could enjoy music while boating in summer and skating in winter. With the real estate crash of the 20's, Reader brought forward the idea of using St. George's Island as the location of the Calgary Zoo. 

St. George's Island Park, Calgary, Alberta, ca.1935. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

Yes, the same place where the glorious 2-tier bandstand stood became part of the Calgary Zoo. For twenty years they both survived. Today, the zoo is still there. But in 1949, the bandstand was demolished. 

St. George's Island Park, Calgary, Alberta, ca.1940. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

I suppose I've strayed off topic since the Calgary bandstands weren't built for a specific event, however, they were built on a grand scale. 

I've found some more interesting images of 2-tier and square bandstands, as well as bandshells, which I'll be posting on my upcoming days (the 5th of each month) here at HHH. I do hope you're enjoying this series. 

Other posts in this historical bandstand series can be found:

- May 5, 2018 - Wooden Bandstands of By Gone Years

- June 5, 2018 - Scenic Bandstands with a Water View

So what do you think about the bandstands shown here? Or even ones from my previous posts? Do you think bandstands should be taken down after each event? Or do you like ones that are built to last and are made of concrete and iron?

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are written under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

1904 St. Louis Exposition

Meet Me At the Fair 

By Martha Rogers

In 1904, one of the largest expositions and fairs in the United States took place in St. Louis, Missouri to commemorate the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. One other city, Kansas City was considered when plans began as early as 1898. Both cities were central location within the territory purchased.

An initial budget was set at $5 million was committed by the city of St. Louis by the sale of city bonds. In 1899, the Missouri state legislature authorized the exhibition to be held there. An extra $5 million came through private donations from citizens and businesses all over Missouri. The final five million came as funds earmarked for the exhibition as part of a congressional appropriations bill passed in May of 1900. President William McKinley actively supported the exposition.

Initially, the fair was to be held in 1903 as the centennial celebration, but the opening was delayed until April 30, 1904 and remained open until December 1 of that year.

George Kessler designed the site that is now the grounds for Forest Park and

                                       <www.loc.gov/item/98687180/>. Library of Congress

Washington University. Over 1,500 buildings connected by 75 miles of roads and walkways made up the fair grounds. Visitors quickly discovered they could not possibly see it all in a day or two. Most visits ended up lasting a week if the visitor wanted to see everything.

While Kessler created the master design for the fair, others were enlisted to design various buildings and other structures. Architect Isaac S. Taylor was named Chairman of the Architectural Commission and Director of Works for the fair. Other architects included Emmanuel Louis Masqueray who designed a number of buildings and Paul Pelz who designed the Place of Machinery. According to claims in a 1923 edition of The Colored Citizen, the majority of the work done building it was by African Americans. Some even contributed to the architecture designs but were not credited.

Most of the buildings were designed and constructed to be temporary, and some were moved to other locations at the end of the fair. The Palace of Fine Art became the home of the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Administration Building is now Brookings Hall on the campus of Washington University. The entrance to the Creation Exhibit on the Pike was dismantled and rebuilt as Coney Island’s Dreamland amusement park, and the huge bird cage in the Saint Louis Zoological Park dates to the fair. Here are two of the beautiful buildings erected. The bottom one is the Palace of Electricity as see at night. 

 https://yhoo.it/2HnNODs

One of the most interesting ones was the wireless tower which was purchased by Charles N. Rix, a banker from Hot Springs, Arkansas after the fair. He had it moved to the summit of Hot Springs Mountain. My family visited Hot Springs in 1953 and went to the top of that tower. Sadly, it deteriorated to the point it had to be demolished in 1975 because of its instability.

The grounds were laid out in such a way that no matter where you were, you had a beautiful view. One of the favorite spots was the lagoon where couples or families could have a ride on a gondola. Here are two pictures of the lagoon, one from each end. 

The fair brought in many innovations that later became an integral part of life in America. Among them were a wireless telephone, and early Fax machine, x-ray machines, infant incubators, electric streetcars, automobiles, air transportation, and various food products such as cotton candy and peanut butter.
Palace of Electricity

Transportation around the fair was available. One of them being these chairs that were pushed by students.

In this blog, I have shown some of the beautiful buildings and architecture that made up the fair grounds. Next month I’ll continue with more influences and wonders of this great fair.

Every year, as I was growing up in Dallas, Texas, I visited the State Fair of Texas in October. My favorite exhibit at the fair was the building where they displayed new inventions and innovations for the future. My favorite activity was on the midway with rides and Funnel Cakes and Corn Dogs.

What's your favorite part of a fair or carnival? 

Martha Rogers is a multi-published author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents to four, soon to be five. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English. She is the Director of the Texas Christian Writers Conference held in Houston in August each year, a member of ACFW, ACFW WOTS chapter in Houston, and a member of the writers’ group, Inspirational Writers Alive.

Find Martha at:  www.marthawrogers.com