Panama-Pacific International Exposition Souvenir Spoon, 1915

The Panama-Pacific International Exposition celebrated the 1914 completion of the Panama Canal and the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Pacific Ocean. Nearly nineteen million people visited San Francisco, recently recovered from a devastating 1906 earthquake, during the fair in 1915. Many returned home with mementos, such as this souvenir spoon with a handle depicting a California grizzly bear.