RECENT POSTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION’S BUILDING, FAIRGROUNDS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE.
Sep. 21, 2023: “Women’s Work at the 1893 World’s Fair” (Evanston, IL)
The Evanston History Center will host a presentation on "Women’s Work at the 1893 World’s Fair" by Diane Dillon on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 7 pm. Her presentation will explore the range of contributions women made to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, including the work of Bertha Palmer and the Board of Lady Managers, the protest of Ida B. Wells, the design of the Woman’s Building by architect Sophia Hayden, and the Congress of Representative Women. Dr. Dillion, scholar-in-residence at the Newberry Library, curated an exhibition there in 2018 about the World’s Columbian Exposition. The event, [...]
Oct 6-7, 2023: “The White City: An Audible Exhibition on H. H. Holmes, Murderer” (Chicago)
The Glessner House in Chicago will host the first staged reading of The White City: An Audible Exhibition on H. H. Holmes, Murderer on October 6 and 7, 2023. Theater in the Dark presents playwright Rick Kinnebrew’s captivating examination of one of the late 19th century’s most notorious characters. Directed by Corey Bradberry and presented in the style of classic radio dramas of the 1930s and 1940s, the production combines the written word, human voices, original music, and rich soundscapes ranging from the Ferris Wheel to the gallows where Holmes was executed. The White City is based on the [...]
155. Picturesque World’s Fair – Entrance to the German Castle
ENTRANCE TO THE GERMAN CASTLE.--The entrance to the German Castle in the German Village, in the Midway Plainance, was the part of that structure which most recalled to mind a castle of the medieval barons, who had such particularly good times when the Emperor would let them alone and when raids upon their neighbors were always exciting and sometimes profitable. The moat was not very wide nor very deep; the drawbridge would not have accommodated a grand pageant of any sort, and the battlements of the castle were not so high but that a good bowman outside could have [...]
DREAM CITY DREAMING by Cindy Angell Keeling
Dream City Dreaming by Cindy Angell Keeling. Petite Parasol Press, 2023. 336 pages. Hardcover, $27.99. ISBN 9798987489000. Paperback, $17.99. ISBN 9798987489017. Kindle $9.99. “There’s magic at the fair that turns the most stalwart souls into hopeless romantics,” asserts one character in Dream City Dreaming by Cindy Angell Keeling. Combining well-rounded characters, a captivating story about visiting the Columbian Exposition, and vivid descriptions of the fairgrounds, this new historical novel crackles with the magic and romance of the 1893 World’s Fair. Any reader who dreams of traveling back in time to the most exciting but ephemeral city on earth will [...]
Aug 8, 2023: “At the World’s Fair: North Shore Resident’s Roles in the 1893 Columbian Exposition” (Online
The Winnetka Historical Society is offering an online program titled "At the World's Fair: North Shore Resident's Roles in the 1893 Columbian Exposition" from 7-8 pm (Central Time) on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Join the free event to learn how several North Shore residents were involved in the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and how the Fair had a profound impact on the city and its surrounding suburbs in many ways, including its art, architecture, and industry. Sponsored by the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District. Register at https://winnetkalibrary.libcal.com/event/10581530
154. Picturesque World’s Fair – East front of Machinery Hall and the Obelisk
EAST FRONT OF MACHINERY HALL, AND THE OBELISK.—The area of water extending to the south from the Grand Basin and known as the South Canal was so entirely surrounded by the beautiful in art or architecture that a view across it from any point was sure to be something captivating. The view above is from the northeast corner of the canal, just where the " Farmer's Bridge " terminated on the area in front of the Agriculture Building, with the observer looking toward the southwest. The great arch of the Southern Colonnade and the east portal of Machinery Hall [...]
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 [...]
Sept. 10, 2023: “Walking the White City” tour (Chicago)
The Glessner House is offering a "Walking the White City" tour of the former fairgrounds of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition on Sunday, September 10, 2023, from 10 AM to noon. Architect and historian John Waters will guide participants on a walking tour of Jackson Park to see the sites of landmarks of the 1893 World's Fair, explore the fascinating vestiges, and learn how the Fair influenced the design of Jackson Park as we know it today. The tour will meet at the base of sculptor Daniel Chester French’s golden Statue of the Republic on Hayes Drive, which marks [...]
Aug 8-Oct. 31, 2023: “World’s Finest: Fly-Fishing Tackle” (Monee, IL)
A temporary exhibit featuring some historical fishing from the 1893 World’s Fair will open this fall at the Monee Reservoir Visitor Center in Monee, Illinois. Their exhibit “World’s Finest: Fly-Fishing Tackle” highlights influential anglers, all of whom exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This ongoing program runs from Tuesday, Aug. 8, to Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, at the Visitor Center (27341 S Ridgeland Ave in Monee) and is free. Paintings on display in the Angling Pavilion of the Fisheries Building at the 1893 World's Fair. [Image from Bancroft, Hubert Howe The Book of the Fair. The [...]
Marvel’s “Loki” heads to the 1893 World’s Fair in Season 2
The Marvel Universe is heading to the 1893 World’s Fair this fall. The Season 1 finale of the original series Loki found the titular character in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. In the upcoming season, the action moves through multiple branched timelines as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Mobius (Owen Wilson) encounter Victor Timely (Jonathan Majors). The Cosmic Circus reports that the story will bring the characters to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where Victor Timely will showcase one of his inventions at the “Victor Timely and his Astounding Emporium Marvels.” Where the [...]