Tower of Jewels (Panama–Pacific International Exposition)

The Tower of Jewels served as the monumental gateway for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, standing at a staggering 435 feet. Designed by architect Thomas Hastings, this combination of a triumphal arch and a colonnaded spire was constructed from staff, a temporary material made of plaster and burlap fiber. Its primary purpose was to broadcast San Francisco's total recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fire, signaling to the world that the city had not only survived but possessed the ambition to host a massive global fair.