Dead Fair: Treasure Island, 1940s

This 1940s footage captures Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay after the Golden Gate International Exposition closed on September 29, 1940. Shot in black-and-white or faded color, it likely shows a deserted "Magic City"—the Tower of the Sun looming over silent pavilions, abandoned Gayway rides, and Pacifica’s statue awaiting demolition. As the U.S. Navy took over in 1941, this reel reveals a once-vibrant World’s Fair site fading into wartime stillness, a haunting echo of pre-WWII optimism gone quiet.