Children's Building Archives - Chicago's 1893 Worlds Fair

Tea from the Boston Tea Party at the 1893 World’s Fair
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Tea from the Boston Tea Party at the 1893 World’s Fair

HISTORY

Tea from the Boston Tea Party at the 1893 World’s Fair

Two hundred and fifty years ago, on December 16, 1773, American colonists angry at the British crown for imposing taxation without representation, staged what became known as “The Boston Tea Party.” This act of colonial defiance to British rule has become a legendary part of American history, although aspects of the story are steeped in myth. Some of the tea from Boston Harbor appears to have made its way to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In the [...]

By Scott|2023-12-16T12:18:20-06:00December 16th, 2023|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: Board of Lady Managers, Children's Building, U.S. Government Building, W.W. Denslow|0 Comments

THE CITY OF WONDERS: A Souvenir of the World’s Fair (Chapter 13)
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THE CITY OF WONDERS: A Souvenir of the World’s Fair (Chapter 13)

REPRINTS

THE CITY OF WONDERS: A Souvenir of the World’s Fair (Chapter 13)

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

By Scott|2024-04-01T18:58:33-05:00January 3rd, 2020|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Administration Building, Children's Building, Court of Honor, gondolas, Ho-o-den, Horticultural Building, illumination, Lake Michigan, Queen Victoria, Woman's Building, Wooded Island|1 Comment

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

Clara Doty Bates, Hostess of the 1893 World’s Fair Children’s Library
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Clara Doty Bates, Hostess of the 1893 World’s Fair Children’s Library

HISTORY, Uncategorized

Clara Doty Bates, Hostess of the 1893 World’s Fair Children’s Library

“There are some crusty old bachelors and a few childless women who make a pretense of disliking children, but it's a flimsy sort of sour-grape antipathy, and rarely rings true. Even those people who do not like children's society will find a great deal to enjoy in their domicile.” —Emma. B. Dunlap, writing about the Children’s Building at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Clara Doty Bates. [Image from A Woman of the Century edited by Frances E. Willard [...]

By Scott|2023-12-08T08:50:27-06:00March 21st, 2019|Categories: HISTORY, Uncategorized|Tags: Children's Building, Clara Doty Bates, Eugene Field, World's Congress Auxiliary|0 Comments

Woman’s Part at the World’s Fair, Part III
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Woman’s Part at the World’s Fair, Part III

REPRINTS

Woman’s Part at the World’s Fair, Part III

Throughout Women’s History Month, we’re reflecting on women’s valuable contributions to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Reprinted here is Part 3 of “Woman’s Part at the World’s Fair” from the May 1893 issue of The Review of Reviews. “The Children's Building” was contributed by Clara Doty Bates, who served as the librarian for the building. Earlier this month we posted Part 1 and Part 2. Additional images have been added to the original article. Clara Doty Bates. [Image [...]

By Scott|2022-03-05T10:47:01-06:00March 20th, 2019|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Alexander Sandier, Bertha Palmer, Board of Lady Managers, Children's Building, Clara Doty Bates, Columbian Bazaar, Emily Huntington, George L. Dunlap, Pauline A. Shaw, Woman's Building|1 Comment

Tchaikovsky’s Tribute to Children for the 1893 World’s Fair
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Tchaikovsky’s Tribute to Children for the 1893 World’s Fair

HISTORY

Tchaikovsky’s Tribute to Children for the 1893 World’s Fair

“Earth hold no music half so sweet as the laughter of a happy child.” -- Bertha Palmer in Fame's Tribute to Children (1893) On this day the world remembers the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840 -- November 6, 1893), who died 125 years ago. Although he did not attend the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, he did provide a small musical gift to help build it. The Children's Building. [Image from Bancroft, Hubert [...]

By Scott|2022-03-05T10:37:56-06:00November 6th, 2018|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: Bertha Palmer, Board of Lady Managers, Children's Building, Eugene Field, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Theodore Thomas|0 Comments

Updates on the Obama Presidential Center plans for Jackson Park
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Updates on the Obama Presidential Center plans for Jackson Park

NEWS

Updates on the Obama Presidential Center plans for Jackson Park

January brought a flurry of planning activity for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) along with heavy gusts of protest against the proposed development in Jackson Park. Both those favoring and those opposing the OPC proposal looked back to the 1893 World's Fair and invoked Frederick Law Olmsted's vision for the park after the Columbian Exposition to support their position. On January 8, the Obama Foundation released new design plans for OPC space on the west side of the lagoon. The [...]

By Scott|2021-05-05T14:21:30-05:00January 28th, 2018|Categories: NEWS|Tags: Calvert Vaux, Children's Building, Frederick Law Olmsted, Horticultural Building, Midway Plaisance, Obama Presidential Center, University of Chicago, Woman's Building|0 Comments

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (p. 26)
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PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (p. 26)

REPRINTS

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS (p. 26)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 26 A VIEW TOWARD THE NORTHWEST.—From the roof of the Government Building some of the finest views of certain portions of the World's Fair grounds were had, and, among these, the one here presented is not the least attractive. It is from the north end of the roof and taken toward the northwest, it must have been in the early morning, for scarcely a figure is visible on the [...]

By Randy|2018-03-11T14:38:09-05:00January 27th, 2018|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: Children's Building, Fisheries Building, Ho-o-den, lagoon, Midway Plaisance, PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR, Puck Building, U.S. Government Building|0 Comments