The Philippine Exposition: A Microcosm of Empire
The Philippine Reservation was the fair's largest and most expensive foreign exhibit, costing $1.1 million (about $38.5 million today, in 2025) and spanning 47 acres with over 130 buildings. It was orchestrated by the Philippine Exposition Board, with Gustavo Niederlein as director of exhibits, and aimed to educate Americans about their new colony's commercial potential, natural resources, and cultural diversity. Over 70,000 artifacts were shipped from the Philippines, including ethnographic items, church relics, and provincial collections.
Participants numbered around 1,100 Filipinos, including 700 Philippine Scouts and Constabulary soldiers who performed daily marches and drills in a massive parade ground-encampment. The exhibit featured recreated villages representing various ethnic groups: Visayans, Bagobos, Samals, Moros, Igorots, Tingguianes, Negritos, and over 30 others. These "living exhibits" lived on-site, demonstrating traditional crafts, dances, and rituals. For instance, the Visayan Village showcased woodcarving and textile weaving, while the Moro Village included tree houses and musical performances with gongs and brass instruments. The Igorot Village, covering six acres with about 100 natives, was among the most visited, featuring daily activities like boiling dogs for meals - a practice that drew sensational crowds.
Kahimyang project portrayed White Supremacy
Controversies and Criticisms
Despite its educational pretensions, the Philippine Exposition was rife with controversies, often described as a "human zoo" that perpetuated racial hierarchies. Indigenous groups, particularly the Igorots, were portrayed as "uncivilized savages" through staged rituals, minimal clothing, and practices like dog-eating, which anthropologists like Albert Jenks used to illustrate evolutionary theories rooted in white supremacy. Participants underwent physical and psychological tests, measuring cranial capacity and reaction times, under the Anthropology Department led by W.J. McGee.
