Gondola on the North Pond, featuring a traditional fero da prora. [Image from Johnson, Rossiter A History of the World’s Columbian Exposition Volume 1 – Narrative. D. Appleton and Co., 1897.]
The Summer 2019 Trivia Question
The prow of a traditional Venetian gondola has a metal plate (a fero da prora), which serves as a counterweight to the gondolier. The design symbolizes the S shape of the Grand Canal of Venice, with fingers representing the districts and topped by the Doge’s hat. Most of the gondolas the came to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago sported a traditional fero da prora, as shown in the photograph above. A few of the boats, however, had different decorative prows. Which of these was depicting on the prow of a Venetian gondola at the Columbian Exposition?
A. a flame, symbolizing the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
B. a bust of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus
C. a Frygian cap, symbolizing freedom
D. a white swan
E. an eagle, representing the United States of America
Although there were several good guesses, this one ended up stumping everyone! Several people answered B, and that would make some sense given the theme of the 1893 World’s Fair and the fact that Venice is not far from Columbus’ hometown of Genoa, Italy. But the correct answer is D. The photo below shows the lovely swan gondola that glided across the Lagoon and Grand Basin of Jackson Park that summer.
A view of a Venetian gondolas in front of the Agriculture Building. [Image from Unsere Weltausstellung. Eine Beschreibung der Columbischen Weltausstellung in Chicago, 1893. Fred. Klein Co. 1894.]