RECENT POSTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION’S BUILDING, FAIRGROUNDS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE.
Inside the Administration Building Dome: “The Glorification of the Arts and Sciences” by William Dodge (Part I)
PART I: DECORATING THE DOME OF THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING “Fame comes only after death to those who have slaved during life.” —William de Leftwich Dodge The gem and crown of the Exposition Along with the Ferris Wheel and the Statue of the Republic, this magnificent structure is one of the most iconic images of the 1893 World’s Fair. With its grand and golden dome, the Administration Building towered over the fairgrounds from a commanding position of honor at the west end of the Grand Basin (Figure 1). Figure 1. A portion of Thomas Moran’s watercolor painting Chicago World's [...]
When the Brownies Visited the Columbian Exposition Fairgrounds
In the summer of 1892, the job of readying the fairgrounds of the World’s Columbian Exposition for its official dedication in October and then finishing work in time for the May 1, 1893, opening must have seemed an impossible task. Luckily, the magical Brownies were there to “lend a helping hand.” The Brownies are a band of adventurous and mischievous little characters created by writer and illustrator Palmer Cox (1840–1924) and based on Scottish folklore figures. Cox wrote that his Brownies, “like fairies and goblins, are imaginary little sprites, who are supposed to delight in harmless pranks and helpful [...]
Aug. 25, 2018: Historic Marker for the Norway Building
On Saturday August 25, 2018, an Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS) marker commemorating the Norway Building was dedicated in Jackson Park on the exact site where the building stood during the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. A delegation of Norwegians traveled to the event from Orkdal—where the building was originally constructed and then returned to in 2017 as a museum and heritage center (see "The Long Journey of the Norway Building.") They were joined by members of the Norwegian-American community of Chicagoland, representatives of the Jackson Park Council, and World’s Fair enthusiasts for the dedication ceremony, held at noon under beautiful [...]
Sep. 28-Dec. 31, 2018: “Pictures from an Exposition: Visualizing the 1893 World’s Fair” at the Newberry Library (Chicago)
The celebration of the 125th anniversary of the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 will climax this fall with a major exhibit and series of programs at the Newberry Library in Chicago. The Library is simultaneously celebrating the 125th anniversary of the opening of their beautiful building, designed by architect Henry Ives Cobb, architect of the Fisheries Building and several other structures on the Columbian Exposition fairgrounds. Pictures from an Exposition: Visualizing the 1893 World's Fair opens on September 28, 2018 and runs through December 31, 2018. Curated by Diane Dillon, the Newberry’s Director of Exhibitions and Major Projects and [...]
Wooded Island Well Suited for Climate Change
It is not easy to find good news in reports about climate change. A news story in the August 17, 2018, Chicago Tribune offered one small encouraging note in an otherwise distressing description of the impacts of climate change on the Chicago region. “The birches in the corner of your kid’s favorite park, the towering spruce in your suburban backyard, that graceful linden on your block — all are likely to disappear from Chicago’s landscape over the next few decades,” reported Cindy Dampier, “casualties of a climate that is suddenly ill-suited to their needs.” A notable exception, according to the [...]
Yerkes Observatory Faces Uncertain Future
Perched on a hilltop above Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, stands a magnificent structure having two significant connections to the 1893 World’s Fair. After more than 120 years of operation, this important legacy of the Columbian Exposition faces an uncertain future. Architect Henry Ives Cobb. (Image from The Graphic History of the Fair. (Graphic Co., 1894).] Henry Ives Cobb, born on August 18, 1859, in Brookline, Massachusetts, had become one of Chicago's most distinguished architects by the time of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Cobb designed several buildings for the Fair, including the Fisheries Building, Café de la Marine (aka [...]
The Yerkes Telescope, Great Revealer of the Solar System
Among the many enormous and record-breaking displays at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, none were astronomical as the Yerkes Telescope. The historic telescope has been on view to the public, and in service to scientists, for the past 120 years while housed in the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, a beautiful building designed by World’s Fair architect Henry Ives Cobb. The observatory and treasured telescope face an uncertain future as the University of Chicago ceases operations of the facility in October 2018. A painting of the Yerkes Telescope by Charles Graham. This description of the Yerkes [...]
Company Vacation to the 1893 World’s Fair
The Wellington Machine Company of Wellington, Ohio, was a foundry for the manufacturing of brick-making machines. An image of the works can be seen in an 1890 engraving here. The article below from the August 16, 1893, issue of Clay Record (an industry semi-monthly) reports on the company’s generous gift to its employees: an all-expense-paid vacation to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. NICE TRIP TO THE WORLD’S FAIR. Last week the Wellington Machine company, Wellington, O., gave its employee a week’s trip to the World’s Fair, paying all expenses. The enterprising proprietors, Messrs. Bennett and McDermott, after having [...]
1893 World’s Fair Commemorative Postage Stamps and the (Alleged) Death of Stamp Collecting
"The report of my death was an exaggeration.” -- Mark Twain (June 2, 1897) In his July 23, 2018, “U.S. Stamp Notes” column at Linn’s Stamp News, John M. Hotchner describes the birth of World’s Fair philately at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. His article “World’s fair philately: 19th and early 20th centuries” explains how the set of 16 commemorative postage stamps, which at the time cost $16.34 (roughly $444 in 2018 dollars) “caused the philatelic press of the time to suggest that the Columbian issue would cause the death of stamp collecting.” Luckily for philatelists, it did not. [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Grand Basin from the Administration Gallery (p. 62)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 62 – THE GRAND BASIN FROM THE ADMINISTRATION GALLERY THE GRAND BASIN FROM THE ADMINISTRATION GALLERY.—Very striking was the effect produced by the body of water known as the Grand Basin, forming a symmetrical marble-framed lake in the center of the Court of Honor. Here, during the day, were reflected the hosts of white fronts uprearing on every side; here, at night, were flashed back the blaze of light from all directions, and here the launches and gondolas flitted about by scores, carrying the hosts of people who chose [...]