REPRINTS – Page 7 – Chicago's 1893 Worlds Fair

143. Picturesque World’s Fair – Under the Government Building Dome
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143. Picturesque World’s Fair – Under the Government Building Dome

REPRINTS

143. Picturesque World’s Fair – Under the Government Building Dome

Whatever might have been thought of the beauties of the United States Government Building as a whole, there was but one opinion as to the attraction of one scene its interior presented, that being directly underneath the dome of the great structure, and having for its single unique exhibit a house made within the trunk of one of California's monster trees. The section of trunk shown was thirty feet long and twenty-three feet across, and was divided laterally into [...]

By Randy|2025-06-27T16:27:04-05:00September 19th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Big Tree, California State Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, U.S. Government Building|0 Comments

This Way to the Egress of the Midway Plaisance
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This Way to the Egress of the Midway Plaisance

REPRINTS

This Way to the Egress of the Midway Plaisance

Had he lived to see it, many aspects of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition would have delighted P. T. Barnum. Visitors to the World’s Fair in Chicago could encounter various displays of “the biggest”—a golden colossus, a mammoth squash, a gigantic cactus, a huge walk-in flour barrel, massive chocolate statues, and an immense rotating wheel … to name but a few. A rather pedestrian object on the Midway Plaisance led to a funny scene that likely would have amused [...]

By Scott|2023-11-28T09:01:39-06:00August 28th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Midway Plaisance, P. T. Barnum, Teresa Dean|0 Comments

Jackson Park oak trees uprooted and destroyed (redux)
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Jackson Park oak trees uprooted and destroyed (redux)

NEWS, REPRINTS

Jackson Park oak trees uprooted and destroyed (redux)

Some Chicago residents are expressing outrage about the number of mature trees being cut down in Jackson Park due to construction of the Obama Presidential Center (and possibly more for coming down for a planned golf course). More people than you think, perhaps, will be sorry that it has been destroyed. Many years ago, some Chicagoan were distressed by all the trees being chopped down in Jackson Park in order to construct the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition fairgrounds. This [...]

By Scott|2022-12-10T09:57:14-06:00August 26th, 2022|Categories: NEWS, REPRINTS|Tags: Jackson Park, Obama Presidential Center|0 Comments

Baggage for 1893 World’s Fair Visitors
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Baggage for 1893 World’s Fair Visitors

REPRINTS

Baggage for 1893 World’s Fair Visitors

In our modern era of frustrating travel, here is a reminder that the more things change the more they stay the same. This complicated advice for train travelers heading to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago comes from April 1893 issue of The Station Agent: “General Passenger Agent De Haven of the Chicago & West Michigan and Detroit, Lansing & Northern railroads has issued a poster to all agents on this subject, which is as well adapted to [...]

By Scott|2022-08-23T08:43:11-05:00August 25th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: visitors|0 Comments

Daniel Burnham on Architecture and “The Intellectual Reflex of the Exposition”
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Daniel Burnham on Architecture and “The Intellectual Reflex of the Exposition”

REPRINTS

Daniel Burnham on Architecture and “The Intellectual Reflex of the Exposition”

What influence would the White City erected for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago likely have on the development of American architecture in the years to come? Pondering that question, architectural critic Montgomery Schuyler noted that Daniel Burnham, Director of Works for the Columbian Exposition, offered a vision that was able to “crystallize into a lucid and specific form a general hazy expectation.” Burnham’s made his comments in this passage for a Chicago newspaper, and Schuyler reprinted them in [...]

By Scott|2022-08-14T06:57:13-05:00August 14th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan|0 Comments

142. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Germania Fountain
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142. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Germania Fountain

REPRINTS

142. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Germania Fountain

THE GERMANIA FOUNTAIN.—Just to the north of the German Building, and showing charmingly against a background of trees which intervened between it and structures to the west, was what was known as the Germania Fountain, a work of art forming part of the German showing. Germania, standing upon a supported globe, held aloft a lamp, while typical additional figures made an effective grouping. . The globe was upheld by four female figures seated upon a lavishly decorated pedestal, which [...]

By Randy|2022-08-11T05:36:23-05:00August 11th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: German exhibit, Germany, Germany Building, Glory of Germania, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR|0 Comments

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|1 Comment

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. [...]

By Randy|2022-04-24T13:28:09-05:00April 24th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Brazil Building, Café de la Marine, California State Building, Fisheries Building, Guatemala Building, Illinois State Building, Merchant Tailors' Building, Michigan State Building, New York State Building, Ohio State Building, Palace of Fine Arts, Pennsylvania State Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, Spectatorium, Swedish Building (Sweden), U.S. Government Building, Venezuela Building, Washington State Building, Wooded Island|0 Comments

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

136. Picturesque World’s Fair – Birds-Eye View of the Columbian Fountain
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136. Picturesque World’s Fair – Birds-Eye View of the Columbian Fountain

REPRINTS

136. Picturesque World’s Fair – Birds-Eye View of the Columbian Fountain

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE COLUMBIAN FOUNTAIN.—It was a merit of the famous Columbian Fountain and one indicative of its quality as a great work of art that it was beautiful from whatever direction a view of it might be taken. So perfect were the relations of its parts that even a bird's-eye view gave something symmetrical and picturesque In the illustration, the observer being almost directly north and at a slight elevation, minor details of the barge are not [...]

By Randy|2022-07-10T10:19:29-05:00March 15th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Agricultural Building, Columbian Fountain, Farmer's Bridge, Machinery Hall, MacMonnies Fountain, Obelisk, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR|0 Comments

135. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Viking Ship
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135. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Viking Ship

REPRINTS

135. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Viking Ship

THE VIKING SHIP.—It was well that with the Columbian celebration honor should be paid to Leif Ericsson, undoubtedly the first European to land upon the shores of America, though due advantage was not taken of his great discovery and it was well, too, that the Viking Ship seen at the Fair should be a reproduction of one buried with its commander at about the time Leif Ericsson made his voyage. That was not far from the year 1000. The [...]

By Randy|2022-03-15T06:01:30-05:00February 8th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Norway, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, Viking Ship|0 Comments

134. Picturesque World’s Fair – Entrance to the Electricity Building
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134. Picturesque World’s Fair – Entrance to the Electricity Building

REPRINTS

134. Picturesque World’s Fair – Entrance to the Electricity Building

ENTRANCE TO THE ELECTRICITY BUILDING.—The south front of the Electricity Building was by no means deficient in the part it sustained toward making a wall of splendid architecture about the Grand Plaza, and the special feature of this front was, of course, the main entrance to the structure. Here the architects had made their chief study and secured their greatest results. The facades were all relieved by entrances, but the one to the south had special distinction in its [...]

By Randy|2022-01-23T09:09:55-06:00January 23rd, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Benjamin Franklin (statue), Electricity Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR|0 Comments

132. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Columbian Obelisk
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132. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Columbian Obelisk

REPRINTS

132. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Columbian Obelisk

THE COLUMBIAN OBELISK.- The Obelisk, which was the prominent object at the southern end of the South Canal, connected the wonderful civilization the World's Fair represented with the hardly less wonderful civilization of thousands of years ago. Ancient Egypt furnished, in a manner, her contribution to the architecture of the Columbian Exposition, the Obelisk, from a distance, reminding the observer of one of the " Cleopatra's Needles," of which, by the way, an exact reproduction was among the attractions [...]

By Randy|2022-01-08T17:22:45-06:00January 8th, 2022|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Agricultural Building, Machinery Hall, Obelisk, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, South Canal, South Colonnade|0 Comments

131. Picturesque World’s Fair – Interior of the Chinese Joss House
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131. Picturesque World’s Fair – Interior of the Chinese Joss House

REPRINTS

131. Picturesque World’s Fair – Interior of the Chinese Joss House

INTERIOR OF THE CHINESE JOSS HOUSE.—Even conservative and ancient China did not keep away from the World's Fair entirely, though the exhibit made was the result of private enterprise, the Chinese government manifesting no great interest in the friendly reunion of the rest of the world. What was known as the Wah Mee Exposition Company had the energy as well as the capital to erect a Chinese Village in the Plaisance, and the Theatre, Joss House, Garden and Café [...]

By Randy|2021-12-05T10:28:52-06:00December 5th, 2021|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Chinese Village, Joss House, Midway Plaisance, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, Wah Mee Company|2 Comments

130. Picturesque World’s Fair – Fire-Works July 4th from the roof of the Manufactures Building
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130. Picturesque World’s Fair – Fire-Works July 4th from the roof of the Manufactures Building

REPRINTS

130. Picturesque World’s Fair – Fire-Works July 4th from the roof of the Manufactures Building

FIRE-WORKS JULY 4th FROM THE ROOF OF THE MANUFACTURES BUILDING.--A view of just such quality as was never had before and may not be had again for a long time was gained by those of the World's Fair visitors who witnessed a fire-works display from such vantage ground as the roof of the Manufactures Building afforded. Upon that great area in mid-air a host of people could be assembled and, on the warm summer nights, thousands improved the opportunity [...]

By Randy|2021-11-25T15:48:41-06:00November 25th, 2021|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: fireworks, Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR|0 Comments

129. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Spanish Caravels – Pinta and Nina
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129. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Spanish Caravels – Pinta and Nina

REPRINTS

129. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Spanish Caravels – Pinta and Nina

THE SPANISH CARAVELS, " PINTA" AND " NIÑA."—The Spanish Caravels should have had their names painted on their sides to distinguish them apart; at least, so thought many of the visitors to the Fair; for their build was singularly alike with the " Santa Maria " and " Pinta." The " Niña " was distinguishable enough, as she had no raised deck at the bow, did not overhang like the others, and had no square sails of the ordinary [...]

By Randy|2021-11-10T07:05:54-06:00November 10th, 2021|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Alonzo Pinzon, Caravels, Christopher Columbus, Niña, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, Pinta, Santa Maria, South Pond, Yanez Pinzon|3 Comments

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