RECENT POSTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION’S BUILDING, FAIRGROUNDS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE.
Dec. 1-30, 2017 (Chicago): Joffrey Ballet returns to the Fair
Chicago's Joffrey Ballet will be returning to the Columbian Exposition with their 2017 production of The Nutcracker, running from December 1 to 30 at the Auditorium Theater. This spectacular ballet by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon premiered in 2016 and invites the audience to ... "journey inside Chicago's 1893 World's Fair with Wheeldon's critically acclaimed holiday masterpiece. When young Marie and her mother, a sculptress who is creating the fair's iconic Statue of the Republic, host a holiday party, a surprise visit from the charming Great Impresario sets off a Christmas Eve dream of whirlwind romance and adventure. A must-see tradition [...]
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 that surged in one great sentient, unbroken wave, only to divide around the magnificent structures that proudly lifted their ivory [...]
From the Emerald City to the White City
Having been a devoted L. Frank Baum enthusiast for decades, I developed a keen interest in learning more about his life and times upon moving to Chicago in the summer of 2003. The author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz provided the invitation to explore the history of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Many sources have offered commentary—ranging from the factual to the fanciful—on Baum’s connections to the Columbian Exposition, and I anticipate contributing additional thoughts on that topic in upcoming posts. The "Golden Lady" of Jackson Park Then I bumped into the Golden Lady while [...]