As the inaugural exhibit in the new Archival Display Cabinet, the Mechanics' Institute is displaying the family heirlooms of one of the members of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) executive committee, Reuben B. Hale.
The Reuben Hale Family Collection includes photos, medals, pins, certificates, and books related to the 1915 PPIE. Mr. Hale, a retail tycoon and president of the S.F. Merchant’s Association in the early 1900’s, was considered to be the originator of the grand idea to host an international exposition in San Francisco. He served as a Vice President on the PPIE executive committee and as a member of the Commission Extraordinary which visited governments in Europe in 1912 to solicit their participation in the PPIE.
The display is in the Library on the 2nd Floor of the Mechanics' Institute Building at 57 Post Street, San Francisco. Admission is free.
