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Jackson Park Prints to Support Block Club Chicago

Block Club Chicago—a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan, and essential coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods—has two gorgeous poster prints depicting remnants of the 1893 World’s Fair. The 6-by-20-inch limited-edition prints by Steve Shanabruch print are premiums for donors who purchase, gift, or upgrade a Block Club subscription by December 31, 2024. The poster for Hyde Park shows a lovely vista of the Wooded Island and the original Palace of Fine Arts. The Woodlawn neighborhood poster features [...]

By |2024-12-30T08:29:46-06:00December 30th, 2024|Categories: NEWS, PRODUCTS|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
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World’s Fair beer on “Jeopardy!”

The December 2, 2024, episode of Jeopardy! offered contestants this $200 clue in the Jeopardy! round under the category of “Cheers to Beers”: After being honored at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, this brand added "Blue Ribbon" to its name. Evan Jones gave the correct answer of Pabst. The Pabst Brewing Company was awarded a medal at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition. The blue ribbon was the company's own invention. A medal given to the Pabst Brewing [...]

By |2024-12-18T20:07:56-06:00December 15th, 2024|Categories: NEWS|Tags: , |0 Comments
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Maps of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in the Library of Congress

Maps of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition fairgrounds offer a fascinating look at the evolving design of the Jackson Park campus and of the continuous changes during the run of the Fair. The Library of Congress holds many interesting specimens of World’s Fair cartography in the collection of the Geography and Map Division. Cynthia Smith’s blog post “Chicago in 1893: Selected Maps of the World’s Columbian Exposition” (December 4, 2024) highlights several maps and exhibit hall floorplans from the [...]

By |2024-12-30T08:31:42-06:00December 14th, 2024|Categories: NEWS|Tags: , |0 Comments
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2024 Columbian Exposition Gift Guide

Shopping for a gift to give a Columbian Exposition enthusiast? Or wanting to treat yourself to a little something during the holiday season? If so, check on these products relating to the 1893 World’s Fair. Note: We provide this announcement of new products without any compensation from vendors. Prices and availability subject to change. Add a Ferris Wheel to your tree with a World’s Fair Wooden Ornament from Transit Tees. The image of the Great Wheel on the Midway [...]

By |2025-01-20T09:41:00-06:00December 2nd, 2024|Categories: COLLECTING, NEWS|Tags: , |0 Comments
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Season’s Readings: 2024 Books about the World’s Columbian Exposition

Relatively few new books were added to the Columbian Exposition bookshelf this past year, but the small selection does cover several interesting topics. Three new academic works explore the Woman’s Building, model Haida Village, and Haiti Building and Frederick Douglass. A new children’s novel time-travels back to 1893. Note: We provide this announcement of new titles without any compensation from authors or publishers. We encourage shopping through independent local book dealers and online platforms that support them, such as [...]

By |2024-11-28T13:44:45-06:00December 1st, 2024|Categories: FICTION, NEWS, PRODUCTS, RESEARCH|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
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World’s Fair architects on “Jeopardy!”

The November 29, 2024, episode of Jeopardy! offered contestants this $400 clue in the Double Jeopardy! round under the category of “Do You Want to Build a Building?”: In 1873 Daniel Burnham & John Root started a firm to build together in this city; 2 decades later, Burnham built a fair there. Debbie Mercer, a retired special education teacher from (nearby) Oak Park, Illinois, gave the correct answer of Chicago. Daniel Burnham and John Root in their office [...]

By |2024-11-30T10:23:45-06:00November 30th, 2024|Categories: NEWS|Tags: , , |0 Comments
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Giving Thanks Before the 1893 World’s Fair Opens

On Thanksgiving 1892, Chicago was gearing up for the World’s Columbian Exposition, having just held the grand Dedication Day ceremonies on October 21 and the Inaugural Reception ball two days before that. Both events had showed that Chicago was ready to host the World’s Fair the following spring. What were these ten prominent Chicagoans thankful for? In this cartoon for the Chicago Inter Ocean Illustrated Supplement, artist Art Young attempts to take a guess their inner thoughts. George R. [...]

By |2024-11-28T09:23:28-06:00November 28th, 2024|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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The Architectural Influence of the 1893 World’s Fair on “Wicked”

Every way That you look in this city There’s something exquisite You’ll want to visit Before the day’s through! —“One Short Day” by Stephen Schwartz The 2024 blockbuster film Wicked takes audiences into the thrilling dreamworld of Oz. While visiting the Emerald City, attentive viewers may catch glimpses of the 1893 World’s Fair. Ever since L. Frank Baum “discovered” the Land of Oz and published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900—seven years after visiting the World’s Columbian Exposition [...]

By |2024-11-24T12:29:48-06:00November 22nd, 2024|Categories: NEWS|Tags: , , |2 Comments
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Ignacy Paderewski Battles the Midway Camel

Twenty-two-year-old Ignacy Jan Paderewski (November 18, 1860 – June 29, 1941) was already a rock star when he performed a concert for the opening of the 1893 World’s Fair. The Polish pianist’s adoring fans—enchanted as much by his luxuriant red locks as by his charismatic keyboard performance—succumbed to “Paddymania.” His distinguishing coiffure made Paderewski a common subject of caricatures and cartoons. One example places him back at the World’s Columbian Exposition, where one denizen of the Midway Plaisance was [...]

By |2024-11-05T10:07:15-06:00November 18th, 2024|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , |0 Comments
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