Potentially Offensive Text and Images

Historical materials reproduced on this website reflect the society in which they were created. As a user of this website, you may encounter language and imagery that you find offensive because of how it represents abilities, age, economic income, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexuality, sexual orientation, and other aspects of past lives. Even offensive texts and images have research value, and their preservation and reproduction do not reflect the personal values of the hosts of worldsfairchicago1893.com. We strive for honest engagement with even difficult historical materials in order to build a more inclusive and respectful world.

Other historical materials about the 1893 World’s Fair suffer from deliberate omissions. The under-representation and even repression of information about some minority cultures minimizes their presence at the Fair and contributions to it. We encourage research and reflection on how the historical record of the 1893 World’s Fair is a product of the dominant culture of that time.