RECENT POSTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION’S BUILDING, FAIRGROUNDS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE.
Happy Bertha-day
Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Bertha Honoré Palmer, on May 22, 1849, in Louisville, Kentucky. As President of the Board of Lady Managers for the 1893 World’s Fair, she made lasting impact on the shape of the Columbian Exposition, especially with regard to raising the profile of women’s contributions to society. Here is an excerpt from her Dedication Day address, presented on October 21, 1892, in the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building to a crowd of one hundred and fifty thousand: Of all the changes which have resulted from the great ingenuity and inventiveness of the [...]
The Most Wonderful Achievement the World Has Ever Seen
This article from the May 6, 1893, issue of Engineering and Mining News espouses the glory and shortfallings of the Columbian Exposition, which had recently opened in Chicago. View of north lagoon, Art Palace and state buildings, photography by William Henry Jackson. [Image from the Ball State University digital media repository.] The World’s Columbian Fair, which was opened at Chicago, May 1st, is already, in its buildings and promises to be in its exhibits, the most wonderful achievement the world has ever seen. The magic city of palaces gathered around the lakes and lagoons of Jackson Park is [...]
Icons of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition notecards
The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) in Chicago held their “Revel in the White City” virtual simulation at the museum on May 19 and May 20 to a packed auditorium. It was spectacular. Making the event even more festive were a set of posters designed by Chicago artist David Lee Csicsko, titled “Icons of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.” Greeting cards of the set of eight images were available for sale at the museum. Csicsko is an acclaimed artist and graphic designer whose distinctive work is instantly recognizable to Chicagoans. His quirky images decorate the Belmont El station, [...]
May 4-Nov. 25, 2018: “Celebrating Libbey Glass, 1818-2018” at Toledo Museum of Art
The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) currently has an exhibit commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Libbey Glass Company. Celebrating Libbey Glass, 1818-2018 features several pieces showing the Toledo glassmaker’s contributions to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. The Libbey Glass Works building on the Midway Plaisance. [Image from Views of the World's Fair and Midway Plaisance (Conkey, 1894).] The Libbey Glass Works building, located at the east end of the Midway Plaisance at the Columbian Exposition, served as a working factory that offered demonstrations of glassmaking and exhibits of the company’s fine craft and sold numerous mementos [...]
Video about the Marquette Building murals
The lobby of the Marquette Building in Chicago. The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, includes many items associated with the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in their extensive collection. They recently posted a video about the stunning Tiffany glass-tile mural in Chicago’s historic Marquette Building, noting its own connection to the Chicago World’s Fair: "At the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, architects William Holabird and Martin Roche found in the glass of Tiffany Studios what they had been searching for: a piece that would provide a lasting impression to all of their building’s visitors. [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Horticulture Building (p. 50)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 50 – THE HORTICULTURE BUILDING THE HORTICULTURE BUILDING.—It is doubtful if among all the views taken upon the World's Fair grounds one has been secured which in beauty and general interest surpasses that given here. It is from the top of the Government Building looking west over the Wooded Island and commanding the whole splendid frontage of the Horticulture Building, a view which, from the nature of things, could not be gained elsewhere or at a less altitude. The Horticulture Building appears here to a justified advantage. The frontage [...]
May 2018 Trivia Question
Our monthly newsletter includes a “Palmer Puzzler” exclusive to those who subscribe. The first person to send us the correct answer wins a small prize. The May 2018 Trivia Question To celebrate the opening of the 1893 World’s Fair and the Woman’s Building, what did Bertha Palmer drive? A. an electric “automobile” on display in the Transportation Building B. a hard bargain with Director-General Davis to have President Grover Cleveland visit her building C. a golden nail into a proscenium arch D. architect Sophia Hayden to tears during her dedication speech The winner of the May 2018 Trivia Question [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Iron Gates, German Section (p. 49)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 49 – THE IRON GATES, GERMAN SECTION THE IRON GATES, GERMAN SECTION.—The facade, if it may be so called, of the German exhibit in the Manufactures Building, was as unique as it was attractive. No solid front or imposing arches faced the visitor, but, instead, merely three iron gates connected by an iron fence. But the gates were on a grand scale and with the connecting fence formed in the opinion, not only of metal workers but of artists, the most beautiful piece of wrought-iron work ever made, and [...]
June 1-July 1, 2018: “Burnham’s Dream: The White City” musical
The world premiere of a new musical about the Director of Works for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition opens on June 1 for a one-month run in Chicago. “Burnham’s Dream: The White City,” written by June Finfer with music by Elizabeth Doyle, tells “the tale of ambition of a city and of an architect … Chicago’s Dream City that lived for only a few months, then vanished.” In her 2010 play, “The Glass House,” Finfer explored the life and great work of another famous Chicago architect, Mies van der Rohe and his Farnsworth House. This new show, directed by [...]
“Shock of the New: The Legacy of the 1893 World’s Fair” on BackStory
On May 11, the American history podcast BackStory released episode #0238, an hour-long exploration of the Columbian Exposition titled “Shock of the New: The Legacy of the 1893 World’s Fair.” Hosts Ed Ayers, Nathan Connolly, and Joanne Freeman invite listeners to visit the fairgrounds starting with a segment called “Dreaming Bigger.” Historian Bernie Carlson then explores the role of electricity at the fair in “Electric Feel.” Purdue University Associate Professor & Director Women's Studies Tracey Jean Boisseau highlights the “Woman’s Pavilion” while Historian Robert Rydell (author of All the World's a Fair) tours the Midway Plaisance in “Midway Fun.” [...]