An Archive of Past Events
Relating to the 1893 World’s Fair
Oct. 21, 2019- May 2021: American Medina-Stories of Muslim Chicago (Chicago History Museum)
Some of the earliest Muslim communities in Chicago came for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and on the Midway Plaisance were several of the first mosques in the city. The Chicago History Museum opens a new exhibit “American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago” on October 21, 2019. CHM notes that “the intention of this exhibition is to record the diverse stories and life experiences of Muslim people living in Chicago in order to build connections in our communities through listening and understanding.” The exhibit is included with museum admission and runs through May 2021. Interior of Turkish Mosque. [...]
Oct. 19-20, 2019: Open House Chicago Features 1893 World’s Fair Connections
Vestiges of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition can be found scattered around the globe … if you know where to look. Several sites related to the World’s Fair are included in the 2019 Open House Chicago, held on October 19-20, 2019: Decorators Supply Corp. (3610 S. Morgan St.) manufactured cast ornamental plaster that helped create the mouldings for the buildings of the "White City" at the 1893 World's Fair. St. John Cantius Roman Catholic Church (825 N. Carpenter St., Chicago) features a High Altar and statuary that can be traced back to the 1893 World's Fair. Second Church of Christ, Scientist, [...]
Oct. 13, 2019: The Vanishing City–Excavating the World’s Fair (Glessner House)
Glessner House is hosting a talk on "The Vanishing City: Excavating the World’s Fair of 1893" on Sunday, October 13, 2019, from 4-5 pm. Rebecca Graff, assistant professor of anthropology and chair of the American studies at Lake Forest College, divulges what is hiding beneath the future Obama Presidential Center site in Chicago. Professor Graff will discuss her archaeological and archival research focused on the Fair’s ephemeral “White City” and Midway Plaisance. The results of the excavation in Jackson Park revealed a robust archaeological signature of the extensive sanitary infrastructure of the Fair and, surprisingly, delicate plaster remains of [...]
Sept. 13-Nov. 4, 2019: DEADLY, a New Musical Set at the 1893 World’s Fair (Los Angeles)
A new musical set at the 1893 World’s Fair makes its world premiere at the Sacred Fools Theater Company of Los Angeles this fall. Deadly, written by Vanessa Claire Stewart, with music by Ryan Thomas Johnson, explores the chilling events of the “murder castle” operating near the grounds of the Columbian Exposition. The twin stories of the Fair and the serial killer, which were the subject of Erik Larson’s dramatic non-fiction book The Devil in the White City (2003), have been a popular subject for theater and dance. A comedic show ran in Indianapolis this summer, and a 2014 ballet [...]
Sept. 8, 2019: “Walking the White City” Tour in Jackson Park
The Glessner House is sponsoring "Walking the White City," a walking tour of Jackson Park on Sunday, September 8, 2019, from 10 am to noon. Led by architect and historian John Waters, the tour will locate the sites of landmarks of the fair, explore the fascinating vestiges of the fair that still remain, and show how the fair influenced the design of Jackson Park as we know it today. The tour costs $25 per person ($20 for Glessner House members) and pre-paid reservations (required) can be made here. The tour begins at the Statue of the Republic in Jackson [...]
Sept. 7, 2019-Mar. 22, 2020: “Eternal Light: The Sacred Stained-Glass Windows of Louis Comfort Tiffany” at the Driehaus Museum (Chicago)
“Eternal Light: The Sacred Stained-Glass Windows of Louis Comfort Tiffany” at the Driehaus Museum features items exhibited at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.
June 25, 2019: World’s Fair Auction #34 closes
Columbian Exposition collectors may be interested in World’s Fair Auction #34, now open for preview. Online bidding closes on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, at 10 PM EDT. The auction catalog can be viewed at: http://www.worldsfairauction.com/cgi-bin/catalog.cgi. Lots 19 through 55 are items related to the 1893 World’s Fair, and include several products commemorating various building of the White City: • a demitasse satuma cup with pictures of Machinery Hall and the U.S. Government Building; • a "World's Fair Prize Puzzle" word puzzle, with box; • a round metal box with die cut raised image of the Illinois State Building on [...]
June 23, 2019: Presentation on the World’s Columbian Exposition at the Batavia (IL) Historical Society
The quarterly meeting of the Batavia Historical Society (Batavia, IL) on Sunday, June 23 will feature a presentation by Karl Bruhn on the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Karl Bruhn of Batavia is a retired history teacher and volunteer for the Chicago Architecture Center. The meeting is free and open to the public and will be held at Batavia City Hall Council Chamber (100 N. Island Ave, Batavia IL 60510) starting at 2 pm. Some information provided by the Kane County Chronicle.
June 14-July 7, 2019: “White City Murder” takes the stage in Indianapolis
Eric Larson’s fascinating best-seller The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (2003) introduced many to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. For better or for worse, his pairing of the story of building the World’s Fair in Jackson Park and the exploits of serial killer H. H. Holmes in nearby Englewood has made an enduring connection between the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and murder. [For the record: no known murders occurred on the fairgrounds.] A comedic twist on this pairing is coming in the form of a new musical opening on [...]
June 14, 2019: “The Devil’s Ball” at the Auditorium Theater (Chicago)
An evening inspired by the 1893 World’s Fair takes the stage at the historic Auditorium Theatre on Friday, June 14, 2019. The Auxiliary Board’s annual Devil’s Ball promises to be “a night of devilishly good fun” that features a premium open bar with beer, wine, and cocktails; heavy hors d’oeuvres featuring global cuisine; and dancing on the stage that has hosted artists and performers for 130 years. Designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, the Auditorium was the nation's largest structure when it opened in 1889. At the grand opening of the Auditorium Building, held on December 9, President Benjamin [...]