RECENT POSTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION’S BUILDING, FAIRGROUNDS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS, AND PEOPLE.
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (p. 24)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 24 THE COURT OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT BUILDING.—In particular effects secured in the scores of imposing buildings within the grounds there were few more pleasing in many ways than that attained in the court connecting the pavilions of the French Building. This semi-circular colonnade forming the court and gallery was an admirable specimen of architecture in the Corinthian style, so far as its outside was concerned, and the device for the inclosure was such as to secure the attainment of the best effects. There were few places on the [...]
“I’ll take the 1893 World’s Fair for $200, Alex”
Columbian Exposition fan Dorothy McFarland kindly shared with us some screenshots of the episode of Jeopardy that aired on January 17, 2018, which included the Round 1 category "The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair" ("You remember that," adds host Alex Trebek). The contestants did remember the fair, making a clean sweep of the category. Amanda Griggs provided the correct question to the $200 answer: "Illuminated by thousands of light bulbs, the building seen here was devoted to this new innovation for the home." Gilbert Collins knew the question for the $400 answer: and for the $600 answer: "The building at [...]
Feb. 7, 2018: Des Plaines History Center “World’s Fair” event for children
"The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 exhibited important cultural ideas including innovations in architecture and the fine arts, just to name a few! At the time, it was the world’s biggest fair," writes the Des Plaines History Center, which will be holding a event called "Homeschool Adventures: World’s Columbian Exposition (The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893)" from 1-2 pm on February 7, 2018. The Center invites children ages 5-12 with adult, to "come learn about the fair and create your very own White City out of mixed media." Located at 781 Pearson Street in Des Plaines, IL, the Des Plaines History Center [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (p. 23)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 23 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT BUILDING.—Undoubtedly, buildings which were artistic and architectural successes have been erected by the United States Government, but they have been the exception rather than the rule. The Government Building at the Columbian Exposition was not one of the exceptions. It is not unfair to say of it that it fell far below the standard of excellence of the great buildings about it. It was not in tone with them nor the product of such genius. It was big and not absolutely offensive of aspect, but [...]
Harriet Monroe’s History of the World’s Fair (Part 5)
[Previous installments of this series include Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.] This fifth part of Harriet Monroe’s “The World's Columbian Exposition” from John Wellborn Root: A Study of His Life and Work (Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1896) describes how John Root in late 1890 assembled the “best fruit” of American architecture to design the buildings of the 1893 World’s Fair. Part 5: Expect to be Judged by the World Root looked upon the Columbian Exposition as a great opportunity for his profession, and he accepted the post of consulting architect with the avowed purpose of [...]
Harriet Monroe’s History of the World’s Fair (Part 4)
[Previous installments of this series include Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.] "John Root made the Fair until he died," asserted Owen F. Aldis. We present this fourth part of Harriet Monroe’s “The World's Columbian Exposition” from John Wellborn Root: A Study of His Life and Work (Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1896) on the anniversary of John Root’s death, on January 15, 1891. In this section, Monroe describes the continuing chaos and “hot war” in the fall of 1890 to finalize the site of the 1893 World’s Fair, with renewed proposals for using Lake Front Park downtown and [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (p. 22)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 22 MACHINERY HALL FROM THE SOUTHEAST.—The Spanish Renaissance style adopted by the gifted architects who designed Machinery Hall, enabled a beautiful effect and the north and east facades of the great building ranked in most respects with the grandest of the Exposition. The illustration here afforded shows the southeast corner of the structure and most of its east frontage, and gives a fair idea of the many attractive elements. Here was an extent of five hundred feet, every square yard of which was of elaborate finish, and, aside from [...]
Harriet Monroe’s History of the World’s Fair (Part 3)
[Previous installments of this series include Part 1 and Part 2] Today marks the 125th anniversary of the passing of Henry Sargent Codman, who died unexpectedly while recovering from an appendectomy on January 13, 1893, at the young age of 29. As Frederick Law Olmsted's protégé, Codman influenced the design of the Columbian Exposition fairgrounds in substantial and creative ways, as described in this third part of Harriet Monroe’s “The World's Columbian Exposition” from John Wellborn Root: A Study of His Life and Work (Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1896). Part 3: The Happy Collaboration of Gifted Minds Henry [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (p. 21)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 21 BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE WOODED ISLAND.—It was soon discovered after the World's Fair had become a reality, that, from various points of vantage, views could be secured of a scope and beauty unsought and unexpected by the architect or landscape gardener. From the tops of certain buildings there opened vistas such as could have only been imagined by the poet or the painter. The illustration given above is from a photograph taken from the top of the Transportation Building and is that of a scene to be [...]
Harriet Monroe’s History of the World’s Fair (Part 2)
[Part 1 of this series can be found here] This second part of Harriet Monroe’s “The World's Columbian Exposition” from John Wellborn Root: A Study of His Life and Work (Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1896) begins with a look at how architect John Root in 1890 was thinking about the “alluring problem” of how and where Chicago might host the upcoming World’s Fair. Mentioned in this section is Horace G. H. Tarr (1844-1922), who served during the Civil War in the 20th Regiment, Connecticut Infantry. Burnham and Root designed the home of Captain Tarr. The “Mr. Aldis, of the Grounds [...]