Our seasonal newsletter includes a “Palmer Puzzler” exclusive to those who subscribe. (You can sign up here.) The first person to send us the correct answer wins a small prize.

The Spring 2020 Trivia Question

Who was the “Tiger King” of the 1893 World’s Fair?

A.  George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.
B.  Francis Millet
C.  P. T. Barnum
D.  Carl Hagenbeck
E.  George R. Davis

Many readers knew that the correct answer is Carl Hagenbeck, proprietor of Hagenbeck’s Wild Animal Arena and Museum (among other names) on the Midway Plaisance.  “Tiger King,” of course, is moniker attributed to a fascinating/freaky Netflix docu-series. Back in 1893, the tigers in Hagenbeck’s show were not the kings of his menagerie, as shown in this illustration below of the “drive of the lion prince.” [Image from White, Trumbull; Igleheart, William World’s Columbian Exposition Chicago, 1893. J. W. Ziegler, 1893.]

The first correct answer came from S.V. from Wisconsin, in what seemed like seconds after we hit the newsletter send button and just moments before a flood of other correct answers. (Are you people just sitting home?). To the winner we’ll be sending a greeting card showing the “Court of Honor Illuminated”. This and some other original 1893 World’s Fair greeting cards can be purchased from the World’s Fair Chicago 1893 Shop. All proceeds help defray the costs of our running our website and keeping it free of advertisements.

“Court of Honor Illuminated” available at the World’s Fair Chicago 1893 Shop.