RECENT POSTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION’S BUILDING, FAIRGROUNDS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE.
The 1893 World’s Fair, a Glorified Park
June 8, 1893 was “Princess Eulalia Day” at the World’s Columbian Exposition. Attendance swelled to around 169,000 visitors—the largest yet. Most were eager to catch a glimpse the Infanta from Spain as she toured the fairgrounds. A report from that day reprinted below (originally published in the July 12, 1893, issue of Garden and Forest) makes only a passing mention of the royal guest. Instead, the author focuses on the natural and man-made beauty of the 1893 World’s Fair, while dreaming of Xanadu and Arcadia. [Section headers have been added to the original publication.] A Glorified Park by M. C. [...]
June 13, 2020: LGBT Chicago History in 1893 (Virtual Tour)
To celebrate Pride month, Chicago Detours is offering an "LGBT CHICAGO HISTORY IN 1893 VIRTUAL TOUR" on Saturday, June 13, 2020, at 2:30 pm. This special tour was intended to be a walking tour in the Chicago Loop, but instead will be available as an online program and open to everyone. The tour will explore stories of gay and lesbian history from the 19th-century, set against the backdrop of the 1893 World’s Fair Tour. While digging into how and why the World’s Columbian Exposition still captures imaginations more than 125 years later, the virtual tour will illuminate the LGBT [...]
Memorial Day 2020
Bearing the bandages, water and sponge, Straight and swift to my wounded I go, Where they lie on the ground after the battle brought in, Where their priceless blood reddens the grass the ground, Or to the rows of the hospital tent, or under the roof'd hospital, To the long rows of cots up and down each side I return, To each and all one after another I draw near, not one do I miss, An attendant follows holding a tray, he carries a refuse pail, Soon to be fill'd with clotted rags and blood, emptied, and fill'd again. [...]
Edward Kemeys’ “Buffalo”, Masked
Edward Kemeys' buffalo sculptures for the 1893 World's Fair "possess that touch of the ideal—that suggestion of the soul—which, lacking in the real animal, is bestowed by the magic of art."
May 28, 2020: “Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair Part 2” Virtual Historic Happy Hour (Chicago Detours)
Grab a refreshment of choice and join Chicago Detours for a Historic Happy Hour on Thurs, May 28, when the theme is “Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair Part 2.” Executive Director, Amanda, will offer a virtual tour of the World's Columbian Exposition and highlight the industrial, engineering, and gastronomical inventions that wowed visitors to Chicago's White City. The even runs from 6-6:30 pm CST. The event is free but requires registration.
When Buffalo Bill Cody Goosed the World’s Fair
In the fall of 1893, Buffalo Bill Cody “departed Chicago with a million in cash and the irony of the last laugh,” writes Matt Braun in his article “Buffalo Bill Goosed the World’s Fair” in the May 2014 issue of True West magazine. “He never paid a red cent to Burnham or the World’s Columbian Exposition,” The article offers an account of how Nate Salsbury, Cody’s partner and business manager, requested a concession from the Columbian Exposition's Committee of Ways and Means. Balking at the idea of paying the Exposition fifty percent of their gross proceeds, Salsbury secured a [...]
Yerkes Telescope Will See the Light of Day
A gargantuan scientific display the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago has been hidden from site for months, but soon may see the light of day.
Quarantine Has Us Going to Pieces
Assembling this birds-eye-view of the 1893 World’s Fair lifted our spirits and offered a detailed visit to the fairgrounds of the Columbian Exposition, while cooperating with our stay-at-home ordinance.
1893 World’s Fair Director’s Medal Sells for $3,240
A rare Director’s medal from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition sold for $3,240 in Heritage Auctions’ April 26, 2020, coin auction.
May 15, 2020: Virtual Tour of the 1893 World’s Fair (online)
Chicago "history detective" Ray Johnson will offer a virtual tour of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition fairgrounds at 4 pm (Central) on May 15, 2020. The webinar, offered by Vamonde, is free but registration is required.