RECENT POSTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION’S BUILDING, FAIRGROUNDS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE.
107. Picturesque World’s Fair – Five Samoan Warriors in Character Song
FIVE SAMOAN WARRIORS IN A CHARACTER SONG.—There was a theatre in the village where the Samoans were, and they gave daily performances of no mean quality. Among these were the Tapate, a dance peculiar to the Wallis islanders in which both men and women appeared, the men carrying paddles which they struck together as the dance proceeded to the time beaten on a stick by one of the number sitting on the ground and controlling the movements of the others. A religious dance was another feature, accompanied by a singular chant and with the hitting of sticks together in [...]
Remembering Nancy Green, Aunt Jemima, and the 1893 World’s Fair
Though relatively unknown at the time, one participant in the 1893 World’s Fair later became a famous fixture of food advertising and a part of many people’s kitchens for more than a century. For the past ninety-seven years, the final resting place of the real woman behind the character was an unmarked plot of grass in a cemetery on Chicago’s South Side. A sign welcoming guests to the September 5, 2020, headstone ceremony for Nancy Green. On Saturday, September 5, 2020, cultural historians, civic leaders, and interested members of the community gathered at Oak Woods Cemetery for [...]
Sept. 15, 2020: World’s Fair Auction #37 closes
Columbian Exposition collectors may be interested in World’s Fair Auction #37, now open for preview. Online bidding closes on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. The auction catalog can be viewed at: http://www.worldsfairauction.com/cgi-bin/catalog.cgi. Lots 22 through 57 are items related to the 1893 World’s Fair, and include several products commemorating various building of the White City: numerous Columbian Exposition coins and medals; a colorful box for the Picture Puzzles of the "Mines Building"; a letter on Illinois Board of World's Fair Commissioners stationery dated Feb. 6th, 1894; a complete set of 12 Koehler postal cards; and much more. World’s Fair Auction [...]
Oct. 10, 2020: “Innovations of the 1893 World’s Fair” online presentation (Chicago Detours)
Chicago Detours will be offering an online lecture on "Innovations of the 1893 World's Fair" on Saturday, October 10, at 1 pm (central time). The event, held via Zoom, will delve into the history of the World's Colombian Exposition of 1893 and share the inventions, engineering feats, and gastronomical exhibits that wowed visitors. Tickets can be purchased for $15 at https://chicagodetours.rezdy.com/406501/wonders-of-the-1893-world-s-fair
Sept 18, 2020 and after-1893 World’s Fair Walking Tours (Chicago Architecture Center)
Beginning September 18, 2020, the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) is offering "1893 World's Fair" family walking tours. Although the World’s Columbian Exposition fairgrounds were located south of downtown Chicago and in mostly temporary buildings, there are sites downtown—still standing today—that date from the Fair and highlight its impact. For $99 per family, enjoy a safe walking tour experience lasting 45−60 minutes with one of the CAC’s expertly trained Education Guides. The CAC also offers a regular "White City Revisited" tour in and around Jackson Park.
Sept. 24, 2020: “Designed to Dazzle and Delight” Olmsted and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (online)
On Thursday, September 24, 2020, The National Association for Olmsted Parks will host Chicago parks historian Julia Bachrach, who will offer a lecture "Designed to Dazzle and Delight" about landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The special program will be help at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time using Zoom. Advance registration is required.
106. Picturesque World’s Fair – Dahomey Men
DAHOMEY MEN.—The Dahomey Village consisted of three houses and a group of huts, much of the material being brought from Dahomey for the purpose, and was occupied by sixty men and forty women. Other Pages from PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR.
Tiffany Coffeepot from the World’s Columbian Exposition Sells for $68,750
An exquisite coffeepot made by Tiffany & Company and exhibited at the 1893 World’s Fair sold for $68,750 in July by Skinner auctions. The 10¼-inch-tall sterling silver and enamel piece, adorned with lapis lazuli and acid-etched arabesques, far exceeded its estimate of $15,000–25,000. Tiffany showcased eight “after-dinner” coffeepots in the company’s pavilion inside the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building at the Columbian Exposition. A Tiffany & Co. sterling silver coffeepot sold at Skinner's auction.
Eight Famous Parks Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted
"8 Famous Parks Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Plus a Tiny One You May Not Know About" by Wendy Bowman reviews many of the great works by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who died on this day in 1903. Included are the fairgrounds of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the adjacent (and often overlooked) Washington Park in Chicago. Olmsted & Vaux’s 1871 South Park Plan (from the Chicago Park District).
105. Picturesque World’s Fair – Hindu Jugglers
HINDU JUGGLERS.—Some time before the close of the Fair there was erected a small building on the Midway Plaisance in which Hindu jugglers appeared, to display their skill for the first time before American audiences. Other Pages from PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR.