| Historical Narrative of Shofuso Chapter 4 FAIRMOUNT PARK ASSOCIATIONS WITH JAPAN 4.1 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia One example of Japan and Fairmount Park relations occurred with the 1876 Centennial Exhibition. Shofuso is located on part of what were the Exhibition grounds. The Japanese had two traditionally designed buildings at the fair, one a dwelling (see Figure 4-1), and the other a bazaar and tea house (see Figure 4-2). The latter was located just south of the current site of Shofuso. There were also Japanese displays in the Main Exhibition Building (see Figure 4-3) and Agricultural Hall. Earlier, Japan had displays at three European shows, the London International Exhibition of 1862, the Paris Exposition of 1867 and the Vienna Exposition of 1873. However, the Centennial was the first time that Japan fully participated in a fair. This newly westernized nation was eager to participate, making the decision to contribute as early as June, 1874, and responding officially to the invitation six months later. Only nine foreign governments constructed their own buildings, and Japan was one of them. The Japanese shipped more than 7,000 packages for their displays, a number which was only surpassed by Great Britain. At the Centennial Exhibition, Japan was a strange new country, with a culture and architecture completely different; so little had been seen by westerners. The Japanese saw this as an opportunity to show that they were capable of becoming a competing industrial nation. In the Main Hall, for example, were published Japanese-English dictionaries, and translations of major European and American works into Japanese. There was even a model Japanese classroom set up, with benches and desks rather than the traditional zabuton cushions on a tatami floor. However, these and similar displays were not widely visited. Most of the visitors of the Exhibition were instead more interested in the traditional Japanese architecture and art being displayed. Westerners, from both Europe and the United States, were less interested in finding out how well Japan had modernized. They were instead curious to learn more about a the traditions of a country that seemed exotic and distant from anything they had known before. 4.2 Niomon, a Japanese Temple Gate A Japanese temple gate called Niomon (see Figure 4-4), was located on the same site as Shofuso in Fairmount Park. It was an authentic 300 year old gate, which had been part of the Japanese exhibit during the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. This two story structure had twelve round red wooden columns with black painted bases and, like Shofuso, an irimoya style roof. A pair of wooden guardians, Brahma and Indra, decorated the first floor. These fierce looking Ni_ statues, protected the Buddhist temple from harm. The Niomon was owned by K. Sano of Japan who operated a small Japanese art gallery inside it during the Exposition. After the fair ended, John H. Converse and Samuel Vauclain, both of Philadelphia, purchased the gate and donated it to the Fairmount Park Art Association. The Association in turn gave Niomon to the Fairmount Park Commission. It may be that Fairmount Park was chosen as the site because Converse was then President of the Art Association. The Committee on Works of Art of the Fairmount Park Art Association was given the task of taking under consideration the offer of the Niomon. Although the Committee members were enthusiastic about the structure itself, some expressed concerns about its future maintenance and well-being. Adequate funding from the Park, as well as potential vandalism were strong concerns. A Committee member John T. Morris noted, "If the building is not protected it will soon go to decay, if visitors are permitted to do as they want in the interior it will soon be a disgrace as we are all too familiar with the disfigurements which take place where people collect." He felt it would be better for the Association not to accept the temple gate at all if it were not going to be well-maintained. There were suggestions made from the beginning to either enclose the gate within adequate fencing or in a building. The former owner of the gate, Sano, suggested a 3 feet high and 1 foot wide stone fence or wall to surround the gate. However, in the end, no protective measures were taken for the Niomon, mostly because the Commission would not provide the funds. It was hoped that a guard or custodian from nearby Memorial Hall would be able to protect the structure. But again, no funding was provided for a special watchman for Niomon. Because there would not be adequate security, it was recommended to put the estimated 50 contents of the temple gate (see Figure 4-5) in Memorial Hall (see Appendix E). In the end, these objects were transferred to the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, now the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These concerns about the well-being of the Niomon ran deeper, going to the basic overall infrastructure of the Park. Another Committee member, Albert Kelsey wrote, "©&Mac246; I deplore the possibility of this beautiful temple becoming merely another scattered unit in a poorly planned park that has not, in many instances, been laid out to heighten the effect of the many valuable works of art it possesses." There were several potential sites discussed for the gate, including an area near the Sedgley Porter Guard House in East Fairmount Park, and locations either east or west of Memorial Hall. Ernest Francisco Fenollosa, curator of the Japanese collections at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, was called in to help make a selection. The site eventually chosen was apparently favored by the Committee because it was located near the Lotus Pond, which had an Oriental theme; the Fairmount Park Commission later agreed to this site. According to Charles Evers, of the architectural firm Atkin Olshin Lawson-Bell & Associates, the Pond was installed some time between 1878 and 1894. The site chosen for the gate was the location of the Centennial Medical Department during the 1876 Centennial Exposition. The estimated $3,000 cost of constructing the gate in Fairmount Park, which was half labor and half building material, was paid for by Converse and Vauclain, provided the Fairmount Park Commission agreed to accept the temple gate and to assume custody. This offer was made only after it was understood that, "the Commission has no fund available for this purpose." Sano was initially considered for the reassembly of the house. However, he was only in the United States for a short period of time. It appears that by the time negotiations were completed for the construction of Niomon, he had already returned to Japan. Instead, the Japanese Construction Company of New York, which had recently built a teahouse and pagoda for William K. Vanderbilt, built the gate. Unlike Shofuso, neither the laborers nor the material came from Japan for the Philadelphia construction of the Niomon. Not only would funding have been limited for such a venture but, at least in the case of the workers, there were enough skilled Japanese craftsmen, such as those from the Japanese Construction Company, in the United States to do the work. In fact, when Sano was initially considered to supervise the construction, he planned on hiring several Japanese carpenters locally from Philadelphia. The craftsmanship, which was quickly becoming extinct even in Japan when Shofuso was built fifty years later, was still abundant at the turn of the century. The building components for the temple gate took up three train cars, and its interior objects fit in six large cases. About 130 tons of stone were brought from Darby Creek, because they apparently matched that used in Japan. Fairmount Park also contributed stone, flagging and top soil. Niomon was built during the winter season of 1905-06. The garden for Niomon was not immediately installed due to financial complications. As with the construction of the temple gate, there were no Park Commission funds for it. By 1909, this problem was resolved when Morris and Converse paid for the garden. A man named G. Muto, along with two assistants, worked to create a garden for the temple gate as well as restore the nearby Lotus Pond. The Pond was a hole , [that] has been transformed into a picturesque pond surrounded by stoney banks. A waterfall has been formed among a rough group of Rhododendrons. Banks which were low and uninteresting have been changed into miniature hills, and around the Gateway, paths have been located, bordered with rocks skillfully placed as if Nature herself had assumed the responsibility of their presence... By the time the garden was installed the temple gate was already in need of repair, as the wood was weather beaten and, as predicted, vandals had already had their way. In a letter dated February 15, 1909, and addressed to L. W. Miller of the Fairmount Park Art Association, Morris wrote, "The wooden Gatekeepers should be protected by wire-guards, from the acts of barbaric young American, who take pleasure in stoning these fine specimens of Japanese wood carving – already the glass eyes have been broken out." Over the years there were several incidences involving vandalism to the Niomon, and it was not very well-maintained. In 1936, as part of a WPA project, the gate was completely repaired. Still, by 1941 it was in such poor condition that then Park Commissioner, John B. Kelly suggested it either be repaired or torn down. After decades of comparatively minor vandalism, the gate was severely damaged by vandals in 1947. It was believed that small boys did the damage of mutilating the walls, removing rare covers and destroying lanterns. To help curb such incidents, the outside staircase leading to the second floor was taken down. Finally, Niomon burned completely on May 7, 1955 (see Figure 4-6). Ironically, scaffolding surrounded the building for repair work. There were even plans for the restoration of the garden, created by local landscape architect Thomas W. Sears. It is not clear whether the fire was the cause of vandals climbing the scaffolding or from the carelessness of the workers repairing the structure. Although widely regarded by the people of Philadelphia, the Niomon suffered greatly until it was destroyed. Unfortunately, Shofuso would eventually experience similar hardships. Click here to go to Chapter 5 |
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