P. T. Barnum’s “What the Fair Should Be”

The new musical biopic The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman is shining the spotlight on the life and time of Phineas Taylor Barnum. Although the legendary circus showman died before the Columbian Exposition opened in Chicago in May of 1893, Barnum penned some thoughts on the upcoming World's Fair--then slated for 1892 in a still undetermined city. His short piece was published in March 1890 issue of The North American Review. Perhaps the greatest showman on Earth would have enjoyed the "stupendousness of [...]

By Scott|2017-12-31T10:14:31-06:00December 31st, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , |1 Comment
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 15-16)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 15 A VIEW IN MIDWAY PLAISANCE.—A city in itself was the Midway, picturesque certainly, and educational as well, however meretricious some of its droll features. It was the playground of the multitude and they learned much while they ate, drank, stared and were merry. The view above presented is from a point about the center of the west half of the Plaisance and a little west of the Ferris [...]

By Randy|2025-01-25T22:25:05-06:00December 26th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 17-18)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 17 THE UNITED STATES BATTLE-SHIP ILLINOIS.—The happy idea of a battle-ship as a part of the naval exhibit at the World's Fair is said to have originated with Commodore R. W. Meade, U. S. N. The result of the conception was the "Illinois," which lay apparently at anchor in Lake Michigan, near Victoria House, and approachable from one of the docks. The "Illinois" was a reproduction of one of [...]

By Randy|2018-03-11T14:39:58-05:00December 24th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 13-14)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 13 THE ELECTRIC FOUNTAINS.—The Electric Fountains, one on each side of the famous Macmonnies Fountain, at the west end of the Court of Honor, added greatly to the beauty of the night scene, and always when playing attracted thousands to their vicinity. When quiescent, all that could be seen of the fountains was the multitude of pipes arranged within the rocky basin. At night, however, there came a sudden [...]

By Randy|2018-03-11T14:40:10-05:00December 20th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 11-12)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 11 INTERIOR OF MANUFACTURES BUILDING.—Very like a great city by itself was the interior of the Manufactures Building, with its forty-four acres of exhibiting space — space which was not enough, great as it was for what the world demanded, with its broad avenues, its scores and scores of galleries, its wonderful exhibits and its teeming population. Never under one roof before was collected such an enormous display of [...]

By Randy|2022-01-22T12:49:31-06:00December 17th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 9-10)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 9 THE ART PALACE.— No structure among the many which made up the White City commanded more universal admiration than did the Art Palace, wherein were displayed the triumphs of artists from all over the world. It was a fitting receptacle for its marvelous displays. The style of architecture adapted in the building was of the Grecian-Ionic order and the blending and adaptation of what was most perfect in [...]

By Randy|2022-01-24T19:37:53-06:00December 15th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 7-8)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 7 THE RUINS OF YUCATAN - To the mind of the student of the world's history or that of any one of ordinary learning and imagination, there was no more interesting exhibit in its department of the Exposition than were the ruins from the ancient cities of Yucatan. ' They told of a civilized race existing on this continent, and building palaces and temples of an elaborate order of [...]

By Randy|2017-12-17T11:19:22-06:00December 11th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 5-6)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 5 THE GOLDEN DOOR.—The main portal of the Transportation Building, because of its strikingly attractive features both of design and coloring, became known as " The Golden Door," and certainly deserved the admiring title given it by the public. The Transportation Building, as a whole, was a complete departure in style and hue from the great mass of structures which gave the White City its name, and its greatest [...]

By Randy|2019-11-16T16:19:10-06:00December 9th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 3-4)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 3 THE COURT OF HONOR BY MOONLIGHT.—Of all the magnificent spectacles the Columbian Exposition afforded the view of the Court of Honor by moonlight seems, by common consent, to be accorded the first place. The effect of wonderful lights upon the glorious white buildings and on the waters, the electric flashes through the air, the sky scene made more beautiful, if possible, by the addition of the beauties below, [...]

By Randy|2022-07-10T09:31:07-05:00December 7th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 1-2)

My reading copy of PICTURESQUE WORLD'S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS has a broken binding and many ripped and tattered pages.  In order to preserve the images and text for further enjoyment, I have decided to scan and post the images with captions. I'll do my best to remove any folds, foxing, rips and tears, fading and damage that has occurred in the past 124 years and upload them over the next few months. Please comment or email us [...]

By Randy|2017-12-06T08:15:13-06:00December 6th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , |3 Comments
Read More

Wishing our readers a plentiful Thanksgiving!

THE STATUE OF "PLENTY" from Picturesque World's Fair (W. B. Conkey, 1894). The pieces of statuary which stood beside the portals of the great buildings or bridge approaches, or on pedestals overlooking the Grand Basin and canals and lagoons, had all definite names fitted to the idea of their conception. What Kemeys and Proctor did with wild animals Potter and French did with domestic ones, introducing them in statuary with fine effect. The Statue of "Plenty" was well conceived in [...]

By Randy|2018-03-11T10:15:43-05:00November 23rd, 2017|Categories: NEWS, REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Carter Harrison Played His Part, October 1892

An excerpt from The Illustrated World's Fair Vol. 3, No. 16, October 1892, p. 330: EX-MAYOR CARTER H. HARRISON ON CHICAGO AN ARTICLE BY THE BEST-KNOWN CHICAGOAN. In the middle of an elegant street, well toward the heart of the city of Chicago, stands a dead cottonwood tree. Trunk and branches are bare of bark. It is gnarled and white. Should one cut a cross-section of the trunk he would probably not be able to count a hundred annual [...]

By Scott|2018-03-11T10:16:50-05:00October 28th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , |0 Comments
Read More

A Description of Dedication Day

A description of Dedication Day from Shepp’s World’s Fair Photographed by James W. Shepp and Daniel B. Shepp (Globe Bible Publishing Co., 1893): DEDICATION OF EXPOSITION, OCTOBER 22, 1892 Never in the history of the world has a sight more thrilling been presented to the gaze and understanding of man than that of the Dedication of the World's Columbian Exposition, October 20, 21, and 22, 1892. Great crowds flocked toward the Exposition grounds, making a continuous stream of humanity [...]

By Scott|2018-03-11T10:18:05-05:00September 4th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , |0 Comments
Read More
Copyright 2026 WorldsFairChicago1893 | All Rights Reserved |
Go to Top