FAIR Archives - Page 13 of 48 - Chicago's 1893 Worlds Fair

Did the Art Institute of Chicago lions come from the 1893 World’s Fair? (Pt 2)
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Did the Art Institute of Chicago lions come from the 1893 World’s Fair? (Pt 2)

HISTORY

Did the Art Institute of Chicago lions come from the 1893 World’s Fair? (Pt 2)

The pair of lion sculptures by Edward Kemeys that stand in front of the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) are not cast from sculptures at the 1893 World’s Fair. This misinformation, which appears to have originated in the late 1980s, now permeates descriptions of these iconic Chicago mascots in institutional, popular, and scholarly sources. A set of sixteen lion sculptures stood at the entrances to the Palace of Fine Arts at the World’s Columbian Exposition (WCE), and numerous contemporary sources credit their authorship to A. Phimister Proctor and Theodore Baur (not Kemeys). More importantly, the designs of Kemeys’ AIC lions clearly do not match any of the WCE lions.

By Scott|2022-07-14T06:22:03-05:00July 14th, 2022|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: Alexander Phimister Proctor, Art Institute of Chicago, Charles Hutchinson, Edward Kemeys, Julian Hawthorne, Marshall Field, Palace of Fine Arts, Theodore Baur|2 Comments

Did the Art Institute of Chicago lions come from the 1893 World’s Fair? (Pt 1)
Gallery
Did the Art Institute of Chicago lions come from the 1893 World’s Fair? (Pt 1)

HISTORY

Did the Art Institute of Chicago lions come from the 1893 World’s Fair? (Pt 1)

The pair of lion sculptures by Edward Kemeys that stand in front of the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) are not cast from sculptures at the 1893 World’s Fair. This misinformation, which appears to have originated in the late 1980s, now permeates descriptions of these iconic Chicago mascots in institutional, popular, and scholarly sources. A set of sixteen lion sculptures stood at the entrances to the Palace of Fine Arts at the World’s Columbian Exposition (WCE), and numerous contemporary sources credit their authorship to A. Phimister Proctor and Theodore Baur (not Kemeys). More importantly, the designs of Kemeys’ AIC lions clearly do not match any of the WCE lions.

By Scott|2025-01-30T08:39:03-06:00July 14th, 2022|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: Alexander Phimister Proctor, Art Institute of Chicago, Caesar (Statue), Edward Kemeys, Francis Millet, Julian Hawthorne, Moses P. Handy, Palace of Fine Arts, Theodore Baur, W. D. Richardson, W.W. Denslow|1 Comment

141. Picturesque World’s Fair – Proctor’s Noted Statue of “The Indian”
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141. Picturesque World’s Fair – Proctor’s Noted Statue of “The Indian”

REPRINTS

141. Picturesque World’s Fair – Proctor’s Noted Statue of “The Indian”

PROCTOR'S NOTED STATUE OF "THE INDIAN." — The most notable adornments of the West Lagoon were Proctor's "Indian" and "Cowboy," which pieces of statuary stood overlooking the lagoon from points near the Transportation Building. It was certainly fortunate that the work of producing the statuary around the main basin and lagoons was left to artists as thoroughly American in choice of theme and manner of treatment as Edward Kemeys and A. Phimister Proctor. By neither of them was anything [...]

By Randy|2022-07-10T09:12:33-05:00July 10th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Alexander Phimister Proctor, Edward Kemeys, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, Transportation Building|0 Comments

140. Picturesque World’s Fair – Interior of the India Building
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140. Picturesque World’s Fair – Interior of the India Building

REPRINTS

140. Picturesque World’s Fair – Interior of the India Building

INTERIOR OF THE INDIA BUILDING.— So great was the display of articles of sandal-wood in the interior of the India Building that the fragrance of the various objects always filled the air and added to the oriental flavor of the scene and the occasion, and very little of the walls could be seen, so profuse was the display of all kinds of East India goods. At one end of the single large room, lighted only from above, was an [...]

By Randy|2022-06-19T18:13:36-05:00June 19th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: East India Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR|0 Comments

139. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Pennsylvania Building
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139. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Pennsylvania Building

REPRINTS

139. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Pennsylvania Building

THE PENNSYLVANIA BUILDING.—Among the most conspicuous of the State Buildings in size and cost, that of Pennsylvania possessed an added interest because its front was an exact reproduction of that of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and because it contained the famous Liberty Bell. The edifice was in the Colonial style, of rectangular form, two stories in height, and occupied a ground space one hundred and ten by one hundred and sixty-six feet in area. Piazzas twenty feet wide surrounded [...]

By Randy|2025-05-30T10:16:51-05:00May 31st, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Benjamin Franklin (statue), Liberty Bell, Pennsylvania State Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR|0 Comments

138. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Guatemala Building
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138. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Guatemala Building

REPRINTS, Uncategorized

138. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Guatemala Building

THE GUATEMALA BUILDING.—Built in the Spanish style and tastefully though not profusely decorated, the Guatemala Building presented a most attractive frontage from its site at the east end of the North Pond. The edifice was one hundred and eleven feet square, and two stories in height, and the corners were embellished by graceful towers twenty-three feet in diameter. The entire height of the towers was sixty-five feet, and in two of them were staircases giving access to the roof [...]

By Randy|2022-05-07T05:32:48-05:00May 7th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS, Uncategorized|Tags: Guatemala Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR|0 Comments

The Master Mind of the 1893 World’s Fair
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The Master Mind of the 1893 World’s Fair

REPRINTS

The Master Mind of the 1893 World’s Fair

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted—landscape architect, author, conservationist, and social activist. His ambitious designs transformed Jackson Park in Chicago into the fairgrounds of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The excerpt below, from the November 1, 1893, issue of the Chicago Inter Ocean newspaper, is quick to credit the many important architects who together designed the fairgrounds. From Olmsted’s seminal vision, though, emerged the Dream City on Lake Michigan. [The article [...]

By Scott|2022-04-26T17:49:21-05:00April 26th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Frederick Law Olmsted|0 Comments

137. Picturesque World’s Fair – North and West from the Government Building
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137. Picturesque World’s Fair – North and West from the Government Building

REPRINTS

137. Picturesque World’s Fair – North and West from the Government Building

NORTH AND WEST FROM THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING.—From the dome of the Government Building the prospect north and west afforded as much variety as could be had from any point of observation of the Fair Grounds, since in other directions the view was either much shorter or was cut off by the huge department structures. The illustration shows the Fisheries in the foreground, the details of the south façade of the main building outlined very clearly at such short distance. [...]

The Girl Who Walked on a Monster’s Belt
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The Girl Who Walked on a Monster’s Belt

REPRINTS

The Girl Who Walked on a Monster’s Belt

“The Fair, considered as an electrical exposition only, would be well worthy the attention of the world.” —Murat Halstead, “Electricity at the Fair” Cosmopolitan, September 1893. A great central power plant inside of Machinery Hall powered most of the incandescent lamps, arc lamps, motors, and water pumps for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Capable of delivering more than 12,000 horsepower (9480 kilowatts), this was not only—by far—the largest power plant ever built but also a stunning exhibit of the [...]

By Scott|2023-12-27T09:31:30-06:00April 2nd, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Allis engine, Machinery Hall|0 Comments

When Ward McAllister Sauced Chicago, Part 5
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When Ward McAllister Sauced Chicago, Part 5

HISTORY

When Ward McAllister Sauced Chicago, Part 5

Dessert: Chilled Relations Continued from Part 4. “I have never called Chicago a pork-packing town.” —Ward McAllister As Opening Day of the 1893 World’s Fair approached, Chicago busied herself with final preparations for hosting millions of guests from around the world. The Exposition would be the biggest party ever thrown, and the names of many dignitaries populated the guest list. Royalty rolled down the Midway Plaisance when the Princess Eulalia, Infanta of Spain, visited the 1893 World’s Fair [...]

By Scott|2022-03-17T20:14:18-05:00March 18th, 2022|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: Duke of Veragua, New York, Princess Eulalia, Ward McAllister|1 Comment