Columbian Exposition News
The enduring legacy of the 1893 World’s Fair in modern scholarship, education, the arts, creative products, preservation, and other events.
RECENT POSTS ABOUT COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION NEWS
All the World is Beer
A HAPPY PROSPECT. Sing a song of wondrous things A city full of sights: Common folks and queens and kings Enjoying the delights. When the fair is opened, And all the world is here, We'll have a jolly time throughout the Exposition year. (from The Illustrated World’s Fair, May 1892) For a jolly time throughout the current year, consider a taste of “All the World is Here,” a new [...]
Night and Day Differences at the 1893 World’s Fair
The October 2019 release of the film The Current War will offer many people their first view of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. A recent trailer offered a tantalizing peak at how the special effects team has recreated the White City. In an attempt to provide some historical background, BBC History recently published an article on the “real history” of the World’s Fair in Chicago that included this description of the [...]
White City Beautiful
Where can we find remains of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition? All around us! While few buildings of the White City remain, the urban planning movement it ushered in endures. In “A Case for Civic Splendor: Notes on the City Beautiful Movement," Kayla Bartsch, writing for the National Review, opens with a look back at the “gleaming citadel” on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1893. She reminds us [...]
Chicago’s Alligator Problems
“One day spent among the curious works of nature found in the Fish and Fisheries building was worth a whole year’s reading about them.” -- “Exposition as an Educator” in Campbell's Illustrated History of the World's Columbian Exposition. A new resident to a Chicago city park has been (occasionally) making waves and making international news. An alligator spotted earlier this week swimming the lagoon of Humboldt Park is now [...]
1893 World’s Fair Coming to the Big Screen in THE CURRENT WAR
The lights are back on for a film partially set on the fairgrounds of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Scheduled to open in October 2019 is The Current War, a historical drama about the legendary “war of the currents” between titans of the electrical industry who are setting their sights on powering the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. The Current War tells the story of the vicious rivalry between [...]
2019 History Fairs Showcase Student Research on the 1893 World’s Fair
Several Chicago area students have been researching the 1893 World’s Fair and presented their project at spring history fairs. The Chicago Metro History Fair engages students in grades 6 through 12 in a research project relating to local history. A set of History Fair events during the Spring of 2019 culminated in the Finals competitions at Chicago History Museum on April 10, 2019. Some of these projects were advanced to [...]
Which 1893 World’s Fair building is Among “The 12 Most Controversial Buildings in America”?
A new article at the home advice website BobVila.com describing “The 12 Most Controversial Buildings in America” includes one from the 1893 World’s Fair. The article by Jamie Birdwell Branson lists the Woman’s Building, designed by architect Sophia Hayden. Branson notes that the controversy occurred because the building design “underwent contentious changes during construction, and many architectural journals gave it negative reviews upon completion” and also observes that the criticism [...]
Wind Power History and the 1893 World’s Fair
The June 2019 issue of Maritime Reporter and Engineering News includes an article on wind energy history that notes the windmill exhibit at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. “Offshore Wind: A Brief History” by Tom Ewing (pp. 18-19) describes the companies that showcased wind power at the World’s Fair in Chicago. Worldsfairchicago1893.com was happy to provide an image to accompany the article. An advertisement for the U.S. Wind Engine [...]
A visit to the Elmhurst History Museum
We had the pleasure of visiting the Elmhurst History Museum's new exhibit, “Worlds of Wonder: Remembering Chicagoland’s Amusement Parks”, which we described here. The story of amusement parks in Chicago begins at the great 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and continues through today. The exhibit is free and runs through August 18, 2019.
Louisville celebrates 1893 World’s Fair sculptor Enid Yandell
Louisville, Kentucky, is celebrating hometown sculptor Enid Yandell (1870-1934) with a series of events in 2019. The Louisville native, who studied under Auguste Rodin and Frederick MacMonnies, contributed several notable works to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Yandell sculpted the four caryatids supporting the railing of the roof garden of the Woman’s Building. She was selected for the job for Bertha Palmer, President of the Board of [...]