Palace of Food Products
The north facade of this palace duplicates that of the Palace of Agriculture. But when one turns the west corner into Administration Avenue, one finds an entirely different atmosphere, where the Spanish architecture has given way to Italian. The dominating feature of the building's west facade is an immense half-dome, officially called "The Half-dome of Physical Vigor." This is an exact replica of the "Half-dome of Philosophy" on the Education Palace.
Sculpture. Before the half-dome here, on columns, are replicas of Ralph Stackpole's statue of the physically vigorous man in thought. Inside the half-dome is a repeated figure of a man with a wreath, by Earl Cummings.
In the niches along the walls are two alternating compositions, "Abundance" and "The Triumph of the Field," by Charles R. Harley. Abundance is typified by a seated woman, with the conventional overflowing cornucopias beside her, as well as a conglomeration of details suggestive of the riches of land and sea. This group certainly belongs to the Food Products building, but it really ought to be inside, with the flowers made of butter and the tower of raisins. The Triumph of the Field shows a man seated, and around him a museum of ancient symbols of agriculture, and of agricultural triumph, such as were once carried in the annual harvest festivals. These two groups are among the most amusing things at the Exposition; but artistically they can hardly be said to count at all.
The Palace of Machinery
The Palace of Machinery, largest of all the structures at the Exposition, terminates the main building axis at the East. It is monumental in proportions, and is well suited to its purpose of housing an immense display of machines.
Architecture
The architecture was evidently inspired by the great baths of ancient Rome, which were similar in style, size, and detail. The scale is so great-this is said to be the largest wooden building in the world- that it is something of an achievement to have made the structure anything but barn like. By the richness of the cornices and the careful spacing of the openings the architect has made it ornamental, and has given it a sort of noble dignity-though one hesitates to compare it with the palaces of the central group.
The most interesting architectural bit in connection with the Palace of Machinery is the entrance vestibule under the three central archways. Standing at either end of the portico one obtains a remarkable impression of spaciousness combined with decorative completeness. The coloring within the high vestibule is particularly pleasing.
Within the building the unconcealed trussing, instead of giving a sense of barrenness and lack of finish, resolves itself into a sort of lace-like decorative scheme, the whole effect being peculiarly ornamental.