Battleship Illinois Archives - Chicago's 1893 Worlds Fair

The Chicago Fair of 1893 Will Remain Unexcelled
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The Chicago Fair of 1893 Will Remain Unexcelled

REPRINTS

The Chicago Fair of 1893 Will Remain Unexcelled

In the aftermath of World War II—facing staggering military casualties, the atrocities of the Holocaust, and the specter of nuclear weapons—some people sought solace in fond memories of better times. The following reminiscence of visiting the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago as a young boy appeared in the July 6, 1946, issue of the Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario). The author had grown up in the small town of Morenci, Michigan. The "electric bulbs which outlined the dome [...]

By Scott|2024-08-23T14:22:10-05:00August 24th, 2024|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: "Belly Dancer", Administration Building, Battleship Illinois, bum-bum, Caravels, Cliff Dwellers, Court of Honor, DeWitt Clinton (train), electric fountains, electricity, Empire State Express, Ferris Wheel, glass dress, illumination, Kansas State Building, Little Egypt, Princess Eulalia|0 Comments

THE CITY OF WONDERS: A Souvenir of the World’s Fair (Chapter 7)
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THE CITY OF WONDERS: A Souvenir of the World’s Fair (Chapter 7)

REPRINTS

THE CITY OF WONDERS: A Souvenir of the World’s Fair (Chapter 7)

THE CITY OF WONDERS A SOUVENIR OF THE WORLD'S FAIR by Mary Catherine Crowley (1894)

By Scott|2024-08-23T13:43:12-05:00December 28th, 2019|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Battleship Illinois, Big Tree, Casino, Declaration of Independence, George Washington, Model Post Office, Moving Sidewalk, postcards, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Government Building, whaleback Christopher Columbus|0 Comments

Libraries at the Columbian Exposition
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Libraries at the Columbian Exposition

REPRINTS

Libraries at the Columbian Exposition

“Extremes meet at Chicago.” —librarian Caroline Harwood Garland. The 1893 World’s Fair was full of contrasts: exotic dancing on the Midway and educational exhibits; fountains illuminated by electricity and bibles illuminated by paintings, dynamos and the Dewey decimal system; balloon rides and books. Amidst the Cracker Jack and orange cider was also “food for reflection in the existence of so many libraries.” To celebrate National Library Week, let’s take a look at libraries at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. [...]

By Scott|2024-04-10T16:45:52-05:00April 7th, 2019|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Arkansas State Building, Battleship Illinois, Brazil Building, California State Building, Candace Wheeler, Ceylon Building, Children's Building, Clara Doty Bates, Colorado State Building, Costa Rica Building, Dora Wheeler Keith, East India Building, Florida State Building, Germany Building, Guatemala Building, Hamlin Garland, Idaho State Building, Ignacy Paderewski, Illinois State Building, Indiana State Building, Iowa State Building, Java Village, Kansas State Building, Kentucky State Building, Louisiana State Building, Maine State Building, Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, Mary Hartwell Catherwood, Maryland State Building, Mines and Mining Building, Missouri State Building, Music Hall, Nebraska State Building, New York State Building, North Dakota State Building, Ohio, Pennsylvania State Building, rolling chairs, South Dakota State Building, Swedish Building (Sweden), Territory Building, Texas State Building, Theodore Thomas, Tiffany, Turkish Building (Turkey), U.S. Government Building, Utah State Building, Venezuela Building, Victoria House, Virginia State Building, Washington State Building, Wisconsin State Building, Woman's Building|0 Comments

Opening Day, Part 12: Tour of the Fairgrounds
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Opening Day, Part 12: Tour of the Fairgrounds

OPENING DAY

Opening Day, Part 12: Tour of the Fairgrounds

Tour of the Fairgrounds This is Part 12 of our series “Opening Day of the World’s Fair,” which explores the events of May 1, 1893, at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The full series can be found here. After the “Banquet of Nations” luncheon, President Cleveland and his entourage embarked on a whirlwind tour of the Columbian Exposition grounds and buildings. They departed from the north entrance of the Administration Building where carriages were waiting. “President Cleveland [...]

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 17-18)
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PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 17-18)

REPRINTS

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (pp. 17-18)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 17 THE UNITED STATES BATTLE-SHIP ILLINOIS.—The happy idea of a battle-ship as a part of the naval exhibit at the World's Fair is said to have originated with Commodore R. W. Meade, U. S. N. The result of the conception was the "Illinois," which lay apparently at anchor in Lake Michigan, near Victoria House, and approachable from one of the docks. The "Illinois" was a reproduction of one of [...]

By Randy|2018-03-11T14:39:58-05:00December 24th, 2017|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Battleship Illinois, California State Building, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, Victoria House|0 Comments

See the Midway, German Building, and Palace of Fine Arts on Film
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See the Midway, German Building, and Palace of Fine Arts on Film

NEWS, VIDEO

See the Midway, German Building, and Palace of Fine Arts on Film

The Chicago Tribune has posted a video mash-up of Chicago aerial scenes, pairing vintage film footage—shot in 1914 from a dirigible flying over the city—with modern video of the same locations. The German Building (looking south) Of particular interest to fans of the 1893 World’s Fair are scenes of the Midway Plaisance (shown at 3:45 minutes in the video) followed by a fly-over of the 58th Street Beach (at 4:15), where during the fair were the Great [...]

By Scott|2024-02-04T08:48:46-06:00November 13th, 2017|Categories: NEWS, VIDEO|Tags: Battleship Illinois, Field Museum, Germany Building, Midway Plaisance, Museum of Science and Industry, North Pier, Palace of Fine Arts, Victoria House|0 Comments