PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS
Page 84 – LOOKING NORTH FROM THE SOUTH COLONNADE
LOOKING NORTH FROM THE SOUTH COLONNADE.—In the opinion of many people the most striking extended view to be had upon the Fair grounds was from the Obelisk, at the southern extremity of the South Canal, or better still, from the Colonnade immediately in its rear. From this point opened a vista nearly a mile in length terminated only by the beautiful front of the Art Palace, the dome of which is faintly discernible in the accompanying illustration. The whole stretch of water north and south appeared from here, the South Canal, the Grand Basin, the North Canal, the Lagoon and the North Pond, while the Wooded Island formed a charming center-piece to the distant picture. On the right were revealed frontages of the Agriculture Building and the Manufactures Building, while on the left were Machinery Hall, the Fountains, the Neptune Statue, the Electricity Building and, far away, the Illinois Building, the tall dome of which stood most prominent beyond them. In the immediate foreground were many charming additional features, as viewed from the Colonnade, the Obelisk, with its Guardian Lions, the Statues of Industry and Plenty beside the Canal, the “Farmer’s Bridge,” with its moose and buffalo, and all the western adornments of the Grand Basin. The picture was a wonderful one, in the richest frame ever a picture bore, for it was made of buildings costing millions. It was not surprising that, when it was learned what a view the South Colonnade afforded, there was a drift there of those with taste or that the fame of the prospect became so wide.