An Archive of Past Events
Relating to the 1893 World’s Fair
Feb. 4 – Dec. 23, 2023: “Viking’s Voyage” (Geneva History Museum, IL)
One of the largest surviving display artifacts of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition sits in a park in Geneva, Illinois. The Viking ship, a replica of the ancient Viking ship Gokstad, was built in Norway in 1892 and sailed to Chicago in 1893, surviving a long and dangerous non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Since 1995, the ship has stood in Good Templar Park in Geneva, Illinois, and now is managed and preserved by the Friends of The Viking Ship (FOVS). A newly restored nine-foot-tall dragon head and tail of the ship will be on display for the first [...]
Aug 1, 2023: “Perspective of Wonder: A Tour of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition” (online)
Cindy Angell Keeling will offer an online presentation “Perspective of Wonder: A Tour of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition” about the 1893 World’s Fair on Tuesday, August 1, at 7 pm CT. Which building had the most ostentatious dome? What in the world is "staff," and why was it important to the Fair? Which concession featured a donkey ride up a mountain? Participants are invited to travel back in time with her to find out. Keeling is the author of the historical novel, Dream City Dreaming (Petite Parasol Press, 2023). Attendees of the August 1 presentation will be entered [...]
Apr. 12–14, 2024: Chicago Steampunk Exposition
What do you get when you combine a World’s Fair with retro-futuristic imagination? Come to the 2024 Chicago Steampunk Exposition to find out! Throughout the weekend of Apr. 12–14, 2024, the Expo will host talks, workshops, activities, and shopping for steampunk enthusiasts who enjoy imagining an alternate World’s Columbian Exposition with Gilded Age gothic adventures. The weekend includes live-action role-playing games, an afternoon tea, and an Artists’ Alley & Printers’ Row marketplace. Be on the lookout for gas lamps, mermaids, dirigibles, and vampires as you explore the fantasy fairgrounds. There are 13 bodies hidden somewhere on the fairgrounds [...]
Apr. 14, 2024: “The Enthronement of Merchandise with the Aura of Amusement” (Online)
The Farm House Museum at Iowa State University in Ames is hosting an online talk on the grandiose displays of manufacturers at late 19th- and early 20th-century world’s fairs, including the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. World's fairs scholar Ethan Robey of the University of California, Irvine, will present "The Enthronement of Merchandise with the Aura of Amusement" on Sunday, April 14, 2024, from 2- 3 PM (US Central) via Zoom. Using the link above to register for this free event. This lecture is part of the programing for the Museum's exhibition on “World's Fairs, Expositions, & Centennial Celebrations of [...]
Mar. 27, 2024: “Love and Laughter: An Evening of Song” (Chicago)
A concert at the University of Chicago on March 27 will include music from a notable 1893 World’s Fair participant. “Love and Laughter: An Evening of Song,” featuring acclaimed baritone Kenneth Overton and internationally recognized pianist Casey Robards, will be a celebration of the rich artistic contributions of Black American composers and poets. The program will include a special performance of a song cycle composed by Anthony Patterson, Robards’ husband, set to the poignant and evocative texts of renowned poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar made his first appearance at the World’s Fair on “Colored People Day” (August 25) through [...]
Mar. 23, 2024: “The Remarkable Women Who Helped Build Chicago” (Glen Ellyn, IL)
Women such as Bertha Palmer played a pivotal role in building the 1893 World’s Fair … and building Chicago. The Glen Ellyn Historical Society will host presentation by Laurie Russell on “Behind the Stars: The Remarkable Women Who Helped Build Chicago” on Saturday, March 23, 2024. The stars on the Chicago flag represent four major events that changed Chicago forever (Ft. Dearborn Massacre, Chicago Fire, World’s Columbian Exposition, and Century of Progress World’s Fair.) This presentation examines how women responded to these events, and in the process built the city we know today. The talk includes women who risked [...]
Mar. 7, 2024: “Chicago: City of Influence — Amusement Parks” (Chicago and online)
Chicago for Chicagoans is hosting a presentation on the history of Amusement Parks for the next offering in their “Chicago: City of Influence” lecture series. On Thursday, March 7, speaker Sam Prestigiacomo will discuss the 1893 World’s Fair as the birthplace of many inventions and the inspiration for many entertainment entrepreneurs. The lecture can be attended in person at a hidden speakeasy in Lakeview (Shhhh! It’s Room 13 at the Old Chicago Inn ... but you need a password to enter!) by reserving a ticket here. The lecture also will be streamed live on the Chicago for Chicagoans Facebook [...]
Feb. 27, 2024: “Fantastical Dreamscapes: Architectural Wonders and Innovations at World Expos, 1851 to 1911” (Online)
The Farm House Museum at Iowa State University in Ames is hosting an online talk on the architectural designs and building innovations that shaped the first sixty years of international expositions, including the 1893 World's Fair. University of Arizona Professor of Architectural History Lisa D. Schrenk will present "Fantastical Dreamscapes: Architectural Wonders and Innovations at World Expos, 1851 to 1911" on February 27, 2024, from 5- 6 PM (US Central) via Zoom. Using the link above to register for this free event. This lecture, co-sponsored by The Institute for the Study of International Expositions (ISIE), is part of the [...]
Feb. 10, 2024: “S. S. Christopher Columbus with Todd Gordon” (Plymouth, WI)
A program on the S.S. Christopher Columbus whaleback steamer, used to transport visitors to and from the 1893 World’s Fair, will be sponsored by the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Part of the Center’s “Second Saturdays — Journeys Into Local History” series, “S. S. Christopher Columbus with Todd Gordon” will explore the history of the steamer that was built to ferry passengers from downtown Chicago to the fairgrounds. The only passenger whaleback ever built, the S.S. Christopher Columbus had a forty-year career on Lake Michigan. The lecture will be held at the Plymouth Arts [...]
Dec. 2-27, 2023: Joffrey Ballet’s “Columbian Nutcracker” (Chicago)
A festive Ferris Wheel, a Dream City, a flurry of snow, dancing dragons, dancing nuts, and dancing rats! It's that time of the year for Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet to stage their spectacular annual production of The Nutcracker, with story set on the fairgrounds of 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Performances run from December 2-7, 2023, at the Lyric Opera House (20 N. Wacker Dr. in Chicago) This ballet by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, which premiered in 2016, invites the audience to … “journey inside Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair ... when young Marie and her mother, a sculptress who is creating the [...]