Having been a devoted L. Frank Baum enthusiast for decades, I developed a keen interest in learning more about his life and times upon moving to Chicago in the summer of 2003. The author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz provided the invitation to explore the history of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Many sources have offered commentary—ranging from the factual to the fanciful—on Baum’s connections to the Columbian Exposition, and I anticipate contributing additional thoughts on that topic in upcoming posts.

The “Golden Lady” of Jackson Park

Then I bumped into the Golden Lady while bicycling through Jackson Park. Struck with wonder if this shining statue was a remnant of the 1893 World’s Fair (and soon after learning that it wasn’t), I gazed around a circle trying to recall photographic images of the legendary lost White City and imagining the ghosts of these great building lining the lagoon. Some near misses with cars speeding along Hayes Drive persuaded me to move my contemplation to safer ground, so I cycled back to my neighborhood Chicago library branch. Greeting me there was the White City yet again, this time on the dust jacket of a volume featured in the “new books” section. You know the one.

Enjoying the story of the White City more than the Devil, I continued exploring the history and legacy of the 1893 fair and was rewarded by discovering many places where its magic persists. Stories about the Columbian Exposition infuse many of the tours of historic buildings in the Loop. Headstones in Graceland Cemetery announce the names of those who built the fair. Most fascinating of all was spending a Saturday morning walking through Jackson Park on a guided tour of the former fairgrounds, mapping past onto present.

A limited-edition booklet of W. W. Denslow’s illustrations of the 1893 World’s Fair.

My overlapping interests in Oz, the 1893 World’s Fair, and Chicago history have coalesced around a project that my husband and I started last year: to collect and digitally restore a series of newspaper stories that were illustrated by W. W. Denslow for the ChicagoHerald between 1893 and 1895. Our aim is to make available again to interested readers these fascinating first-hand accounts of visiting the Columbian Exposition and reports on life in the city of Chicago, illustrated by the artist who would a few years later would create the first vision of Oz. We’ll preview some of the stories and artwork on this site in the coming months.

How Did You Find Your Way to the Fair?

While I am neither an experienced World’s Fair scholar nor a deep Columbiana collector, my simple hope is to share my joy of discovering the magic of the “Dream City” with others through this website. Learning about your interests and expertise will make this exploration all the more fun, so please feel free to contribute your thoughts using either the public comments or by sending us a private e-mail message at worldsfairchicago1893 at gmail.

–Scott