Treasures from the White City: Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 opened on Saturday, September 8, at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in Chicago, and we were the first visitors to see the exhibit.

Treasures from the White City at the Driehaus Museum in Chicago

The mansion is a breathtaking example of Gilded Age Chicago, and Treasures and the other current exhibit on Gilded Age portraits complement the gorgeous space. Two third-floor rooms showcase artifacts and art from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

The Driehaus Museum occupies what was the Nickerson mansion in 1893.

Display cases in one room are filled with World’s Fair paper mementos and ephemera, including admission tickets, advertising booklets, a map, Charles Graham prints, and playing cards.

Along another wall is a beautiful display of silver pieces produced by Tiffany & Company and Gorham for their pavilion inside the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building.

Silver from Tiffany and Gorham that was on display at the 1893 World’s Fair is showcased.

We were most impressed by the oil painting Twilight at the World’s Columbian Exposition by Walter Launt Palmer, which depicts the Administration Building lit by electric lights at dusk.

Twilight at the World’s Columbian Exposition by Walter Launt Palmer.

An antique stereoscope is available to view a stereocard photographic view of the same scene.

A stereoscope view of the Administration Building at night.

The Museum prepared a large bird-eye view of the fairgrounds for another wall of the room, and several guests discussed the location of various buildings and sites.

A birds-eye view of the 1893 fairgrounds.

A second room showcases a stunning antependium window from the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company that was displayed at the Fair in the Tiffany Chapel within the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building. The nearly floor-to-ceiling glass panel is from the collection of Richard Driehaus. Across the room is a Benedictine candelabra also from the Tiffany display at the Fair and belonging to the Driehaus Museum collection.

Antependium Window from the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company.

The ballroom features a backdrop of the Midway Plaisance for a photo-op with 1893 costume accessories. The Museum Shop across the hall offers a World’s Fair jigsaw puzzle for sale.

Journey back to the Midway Plaisance.

The staff members we met were all knowledgeable, friendly, and generous with their time. The Driehaus Museum is truly a gem in the Chicago’s cultural crown.

Treasures from the White City: Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 runs through January 6, 2019 at the Driehaus Museum, 40 East Erie St. in Chicago.

A panoramic view of the exhibit room.