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June 16, 2018: It’s Your Park Day (with tour) on Midway Plaisance
June 16, 2018, is "It's Your Park Day" in Chicago, the the Chicago Parks Foundation's annual citywide volunteer day, celebrating Chicago's beautiful green spaces and the communities who support them. One site includes Midway Plaisance Park, site of the great Midway attraction of the 1893 World's Fair. In addition to a park clean-up (all morning), there will be a free historical walking tour to mark the 125th anniversary of [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The “Farmer’s Bridge.” (p. 52)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 52 – THE "FARMER'S BRIDGE" THE "FARMER'S BRIDGE." — Not a few of the prominent features of the Columbian Exposition acquired popular titles quite different from their official designation. The main entrance to the Transportation Building became known as "The Golden Door," the rolling chairs propelled largely by theological students, acquired the title of " Gospel Chariots;" the Columbian [...]
Meat Free Since ’93: National Vegetarian Museum tours Chicago
Did you know that Chicago became an epicenter for vegetarianism in the late 1800s? This question open the display of the National Vegetarian Museum exhibit currently touring the Chicago region. Did you also know that it happened at the 1893 World’s Fair? In early June of 1893, vegetarians from around the world gathered in Chicago, "hog butcher for the world," as part of the World's Congress program of the [...]
Vienna Beef History Museum opens in Chicago
We have not yet reached the dog days of summer, but Chicago is already celebrating its most famous dog, with the opening of the Vienna Beef History Museum. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition launched the careers of many now-famous food items, including shredded wheat, Aunt Jemima pancake mix, chili, brownies, and one of Chicago’s iconic bites: the hot dog. The Vienna beef hot dog made its debut at the [...]
Memorial Day, 1893
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan of Illinois, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance of “comrades who died in defense of their country” during the recent war between the states. Decoration Day was held on May 30 annually. By 1890, all northern states had adopted the holiday. In 1968, the U.S. Congress established Memorial Day as the [...]
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Agriculture Building (p. 51)
PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 51 – THE AGRICULTURE BUILDING THE AGRICULTURE BUILDING.—Viewed from the northwest, different facades of the great Agriculture Building can be seen and a fair idea obtained of its magnitude and beauty. Though but a single story in height, most imposing effects were sought in the design of the structure and were fully realized. Its dimensions were, for the main [...]
June 15, 2018: “Night at the Fair” MSI After Hours (Chicago)
The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) in Chicago occupies one of the few remaining buildings from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. To honor the 125th anniversary of the building and the fair, the museum is hosting “Night at the Fair” for their latest MSI After Hours event on June 15, 2018, from 7 to 10 pm. MSI invites you to “don your best fair attire” (a glass dress, perhaps?) [...]
June 5, 2018: Leading Ladies of Chicago’s Columbian Exposition at Driehaus Museum (Chicago)
The Richard H. Driehaus Museum is sponsoring a lecture “Leading Ladies of Chicago’s Columbian Exposition: Celebrating 125 Years” by Chicago historian Sally Sexton Kalmbach. Although the right to vote was still over 20 years away, the leading ladies of Chicago’s Gilded Age began exerting their power as leaders of social society and cultural tastemakers. Historian Sally Kalmbach will discuss how these women also played an integral leadership role in creating [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
“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 [...]
How Chicago beat New York to get the 1893 World’s Fair
Colleen Connolly’s piece “How Chicago beat New York to get the 1893 World’s Fair” in the May 11 Chicago Tribune provides a short history of Chicago’s effort to win the bid to host the World’s Columbian Exposition. Testimony by Republican Rep. Robert Hitt of Illinois before the House of Representatives in February 1890 argued for holding the event in Chicago, then a city only 53 years old: “The people of [...]
May 20: Auction of original columns from Ceylon Building
Columns from the Ceylon Building [Image from Clars Auction Gallery.] Remnants from an original 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition building come up for auction on May 20, offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of the Fair. Clars Auction Gallery (5644 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, California) will auction a set of hand-carved pillars that were part of the original Ceylon Building on the fairgrounds. Their auction 598 “Art, Furniture, [...]