112. Picturesque World’s Fair – A Group of Singhalese

A GROUP OF SINGHALESE.—The Singhalese seemed to have a good time of it at the World's Fair. Their country was well represented by a charming building and fine exhibit of the products of the land, and the people themselves, in family groups, had both occupation and amusement. The old hymn to the effect that "Ceylon's lovely Isle" is a place where nature has done pretty well and "only man is vile" seemed hardly justified by the appearance or the [...]

By |2021-02-21T07:49:29-06:00February 18th, 2021|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , |0 Comments

Ride the “Midwest Time Machine” to the 1893 World’s Fair

The Newberry Library of Chicago has launched a “Midwest Time Machine,” and one the destinations in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Four first-hand accounts--coming from letters, diaries, and rare books in the Newberry's collections—include a diary of Errett McLeod Graham as he visits the World’s Fair in Chicago between June 24 and July 17, 1893. Hop around a map of the fairgrounds to browse journal entries about smells the Ceylon Building, tastes at the Big Tree Restaurant, sounds in [...]

By |2023-08-05T08:34:31-05:00November 24th, 2019|Categories: NEWS|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

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. [...]

Oct. 6 & 7, 2018: Masks & Myths: Devils and Dancers from Sri Lanka (Chicago)

Mandala, a South Asian performing arts organization in Chicago, will present Masks & Myths: Devils and Dancers from Sri Lanka on Saturday, October 6 at 7 pm and again on Sunday, October 7, at 3 pm at the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 East 60th St. in Chicago. Not since the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition have Sri Lankan dancers appeared as part of a highly visible international exchange. At that time, Kandyan artists performed in cages [...]

By |2022-12-29T18:44:54-06:00September 6th, 2018|Categories: EVENTS (past), THEATER|Tags: , , |0 Comments

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, Jewelry, Asian” on Sunday, May 20, starts at 11:30 AM [...]

By |2024-01-28T11:58:25-06:00May 11th, 2018|Categories: ANTIQUES, EVENTS (past)|Tags: , , |0 Comments

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Ceylon Building (p. 40)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 40 - THE CEYLON BUILDING THE CEYLON BUILDING.—Distant Ceylon made an admirable snowing at the Columbian Exposition, its building forming a notable exhibit in itself. The "Court," as it was called, stood just to the north of the German Building, fronting on the lake. The material was of the beautiful native woods of Ceylon, and the pillars, ends of beams and doors were wonderfully carved in imitation of the [...]

By |2018-09-02T17:34:46-05:00March 15th, 2018|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments
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