by Paul R. Spitzzeri
Concluding our look at the four-day series of pageants and parades in early June 1915 conducted by pupils from schools in Los Angeles city and county and under a general theme of “The March of Empire,” meaning the spread of civilization from the Far East (China and Japan) through the Mediterranean, into Europe and, lastly, to America, culminating at its western edge in California, we note that the Los Angeles Tribune of 5 June reviewed the prior day’s second offering of “The March of Empire” by city schools by talking about a variety of pupils in their costumes reflecting many societies over the centuries.
It then observed that, with the consulting of the dictionary leading to the use of all possible positive adjectives, “it seemed wise to ‘handle’ it entire in a near-humorous vein today” and then added that “those who really wish to ‘get’ the humor would do well to go out to the stadium,” located at Hooper and 35th streets, now the site of Jefferson High School, “for it is the last chance to see the ‘kids’—not as they are but as they think their ancestors might have been.”
As it was, the reporter’s typewriter key tapping included such words as “beautiful,” “dazzling,” “glorious,” and “gleaming” to describe the prior day’s event, but that the keys decided to go on strike if the writer could not come up with “original and clever” about the pageant. After profusely complimenting the students for their efforts, the journalist added,
When that great sweeping mass of glorious color—that scintillating jewel composed of 6500 school children in the center of the stadium rhythmically and majestically turns about in a complete circle of all the shades in the spectrum—don’t forget the teachers who directed the glittering spectacle! . . .
All honor to the directors and teachers of Los Angeles, who have made possible the greatest pageant ever presented by school children in the world! . . .
The school children in Los Angeles will [go] down in history as the originators of a great pageant movement which will sweep over this country . . .
Readers were implored to go the county schools’ edition of “The March of Empire” and added that “if you do not feel patriotic toward Los Angeles . . . then go and see civilization properly costumed change its line of march from east to west . . . go and see California come to life through the imagination of its school children!”
The same day’s Los Angeles Record under a headline of “Youth Rules in L.A. Today,” remarked that “with the great floral, allegorical and historical parade of the county schools . . . the children’s fiesta is closing with commendations of hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles county residents.” With the prior three days focusing on students from the Angel City’s campuses, the paper noted that,
Not to be outdone by their city brothers and sisters, the young folks of the surrounding districts today presented a magnificent spectacle in the downtown streets. The scores of thousands who packed the sidewalks, reviewing stand and windows expressed their delight in waves of applause as the beautiful floats glided by.
The Los Angeles Times, also of the 5th, reported that there were 20,000 persons at “another triumphant showing” the prior day and that “this meant the packing of the Stadium to its utmost capacity” with “an enthusiastic crowd” giving cheers to the students “to the echo.” It was concluded that there was to be an even greater attendance for the county pageant.
As for the Los Angeles Express, with the headline of “Grandeur Of Scintillating Fete Fills Throngs With Admiration,” it boasted that,
Southern California will go down in the esthetic history of the future as the Place of Pageants.
The year 1915 will (as all country editors say) be pointed to with pride as the greatest year of parades ever known in the State . . .
It is as well to state right here that for radiating health and happiness—Los Angeles city and county children have more of those commodities to disseminate than any other city and county in the United States.
The pupils of county schools “looked like morning glories” and it was claimed they took to the attention more than their urban brethren because “they are not so used to the city and its ever-changing attractions.” After recording the “wild enthusiasm” of the crowds and the “radiantly splendid” floats, the Express opined that, being “the most graceful and elaborate thing of its kind ever attempted,” the pageant was such that, “if you miss it, Mr. Citizen and Mrs. Angeleno, you are missing something that may never come your way again.”
The Tribune of the following morning, with images of two of the floats, emphasized the “great scintillating fireflies” that comprised the floats in “The Feast of Flowers” electrical parade, the route of which was changed from what was in the program featured in part one of this post. Instead of moving primarily through downtown from the intersection of Grand Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard, it was decided to run the parade through a mostly residential area of the Historic South-Central section as well as along the south end of Exposition Park—this being much closer to the Stadium and those who came in from outlying areas for the pageant.
The paper commented that the day’s events were “a splendid sight for the eyes” and “they have quickened the imaginations of the most blase and the most ignorant—and given them a picture of grace and loveliness, of artistic genius and delicate beauty.” Moreover, the county’s pupils “have inspired thousands with their high ideals of spiritual glories and have portrayed the march of mankind to our present civilization.” Notably, it was reported that “the entire affair will be repeated next Saturday, owing to the demand on the part of those who failed to see it.”
The county pageant was deemed “delightful” and well-received with floats “beautifully and elaborately decorated, and each a symphony of color” while accompanied by “bright-eyed young people, dancing, bowing and smiling.” The first prize of $100 was bestowed to Huntington Park and its “Children of the Future” entry, while runner-up Hermosa Beach offered 80,000 red and white carnations in its “Cupid Afloat” offering and third place went to Burbank for its “handsome poppy float.” Other prize-winners came from Beverly Hills, Charter Oak (near Covina), Compton, El Monte, Sierra Madre and Van Nuys.
The Times of the 6th stated that there were close to 100,000 persons along the parade route and fired off “deserved salvos of reverberated applause” as part of “another edition of the Southland’s far-famed floral parades,” the entries of which “were fully up to the standard set by past floral parades.” The account went on that,
To say that Los Angeles county, from the mountains to the sea, poured down an overflowing cornucopia of flowers upon the city is not to violate the verities. It was as if good Queen Flora had deigned to put a bit of her wealth on wheels, and was not averse to try conclusions on the score of beauty with rose-cheeked girls and lithe-limbed boys.
There was no unified theme, but “a sort of potpourri of colors and motifs, all pleasing, attractive and calculated to acquaint the visitor with the Southland’s two best-known products—children and flowers.” The Mediterranean climate appeared to be the reason why the paper felt that the region had the elements found in ancient Greece and its Olympic games and festivals to Dionysus.
It was asserted, moreover, “that the children recognize this augurs well for the continued advancement of the Southland along lines not strictly commercial,” though it was otherwise stated that the events were part of a broad 1915 celebration of the completion of the Panama Canal, in which potential immigrants and tourists would see what was alluring and attractive about greater Los Angeles and the general committee overseeing the program was led by business and civic leaders.
In fact, the Times briefly suggested “that it should be revived another year” and added that upcoming events for the week included a baby parade run by the Woman’s Million Club and a two-month “juvenile exposition” at the Normal Hill Center, the new use of the Normal School complex, that teacher education campus moving to today’s Los Angeles City College, where the Central Public Library is now. The paper also published photos of floats entered by Hermosa Beach, Burbank, Watts and Sierra Madre.
In an editorial in its edition of the 8th, the Express deemed the series “A Superb Success” averring that the events “in their magnificence and splendor surpass any spectacle this country has witnessed.” It was hardly surprising that the Stadium was filled to capacity as “Los Angeles found . . . an appeal that was irresistible in its novelty” and that the pageants and parades “combined to give strength and vitality to the entire entertainment.”
It reported that there was some indulgence that adults gave to the idea of a usual school entertainment when the program was announced, much less “that air of superiority adults are apt to assume in the presence of youth,” but, “the magnificence of the spectacle, superbly staged as it was and unique in its purpose, so far exceeded expectations as to leave Los Angeles gasping in amazement.”
Moving to the tourism angle, the paper felt that, if this events could be held yearly, they would “draw to Los Angeles on each occasion a larger host of visitors than all its other spectacles,” such as the long-running La Fiesta, “combined.” It was even propounded that “it would speedily come to wear the dignity of world-wide interest and be as famous in its day as the Passion Play of Oberammergau,” which was often cited as an analog to San Gabriel’s The Mission Play, then in its fourth year.
When, however, the idea of repeating “The March of Progress” pageant was further discussed, the Tribune of the 9th noted that,
Protests from principals of the various schools received by the board of education last night caused that body to veto the repetition of the pageant . . . The principals of the high and intermediate schools declared that if the event were [sic] staged again it would interfere seriously with the school work of the students [who were readying for their finals as the school year came to a close].
Likely as an attempt to ameliorate any of these naturally legitimate educational concerns, 1915 General Committee chair Motley H. Flint issued a letter in which he wrote, “I have personally handled a large number of pageants and parades in Los Angeles and nothing that I have ever seen or heard of can compare with the wonderful parade of the public schools of this city last Wednesday morning,” though why he didn’t mention “The March of Empire” pageant is somewhat puzzling.
Whether it was something of a last-minute substitute for the second round of pageant offerings or not, the filming of “The Garden of Youth” parade from the 2nd and “The March of Empire” pageant that followed the next couple of days was shown at the Majestic Theatre, located at Broadway and 6th Street, to municipal officers, school teachers and others on the 12th.
For the following week, the public was able to see the footage as part of the bill supporting the feature film presentation of Spartacus, a 1913 Italian production and the Express of the 12th remarked that,
The Major Film company obtained exclusive rights to film the beautiful parades and pageants, and over 7000 feet were taken of the school children passing through the streets and of The March of the Empire at the Stadium. This film has been cut so that there is no duplication and yet all of the interesting events have been kept.
In spring 1914 the Major Film Manufacturing Company was formed with the intention of building a studio in Laurel Canyon, while it also took over the lease of the Majestic, and, while some press accounts stated that it was the “Motion Portrait Film Company” that was contracted to film the events, it seems that it was the Major Film firm instead.
Benjamin F. Moffatt, the head of the Major concern, however, was free on bail after being convicted by a federal court in St. Louis for mail fraud in an oil company scheme and, having a real estate and securities company set up to speculate on 750 lots at Laurel Canyon, established the film enterprise, which was also said to have a Santa Barbara location for additional filming.
The Los Angeles Times of 25 May 1917 reported, in an article about Moffatt’s reporting to Leavenworth Federal Prison to serve his sentence of a year and a day that “this proposition fell through, and meanwhile Laurel Canyon went back to the original owners,” though United States Postal Service officials were investigating his actions with the two local firms, but were stymied when the books of both were found to be destroyed.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, the school’ parade and pageant was not held again in 1916 or at any other time. It was obviously very time-consuming and complex to plan and execute and, given that the city district balked at a single day’s repetition of the pageant, citing demands on students, the events might have involved more than was originally intended and what could reasonably be expected at any time.
Additionally, one wonders how much of the spectacle really was about education, and, if so, how civilization was taught to pupils, as opposed to the promotion of Los Angeles and environs for prospective residents and tourists and, therefore, as a boosting of business and commercial interests, as pageants and parades tended to be during the late 19th and early 20th centuries anyway.
Still, the 1915 events certainly were notable on many levels—the featured photograph here from our collection shows one of the county school floats during the parade on the morning of the 5th as it passed down Main Street between 3rd and 4th streets, including in front of the Republic, formerly the Belasco, and the Hippodrome theatres, the Good Fellow Grotto, a shoe store, a jewelry establishment and others.
Considering that the current average cost of a Rose Parade float exceeds $275,000 – equivalent to about $5,540 in 1915, or roughly 150 teacher’s average monthly salary at that time – it’s no surprise that a similar event had to be discontinued the following year, and permanently, due to cost concerns alone.
I believe events like this are worthwhile, but neither the funding nor the professional work should be placed on schools. Instead, the costs should be covered by other sources, and the float design and construction should be contracted out to professionals. Schools should instead participate by contributing student involvement – assigning 50, 100, or more students to be costumed and rehearsed in advance.