129. Picturesque World’s Fair – The Spanish Caravels – Pinta and Nina

THE SPANISH CARAVELS, " PINTA" AND " NIÑA."—The Spanish Caravels should have had their names painted on their sides to distinguish them apart; at least, so thought many of the visitors to the Fair; for their build was singularly alike with the " Santa Maria " and " Pinta." The " Niña " was distinguishable enough, as she had no raised deck at the bow, did not overhang like the others, and had no square sails of the ordinary [...]

Chicago Statues from the 1893 World’s Fair Under Scrutiny

The City of Chicago has announced the beginning of a process to review forty-one statues, monuments, murals, and plaques in the city that have been “identified for public discussion.” The list includes four statues that have a direct connection to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago: The Republic by Daniel Chester French https://chicagomonuments.org/monuments/the-republic This 1918 smaller replica of the original 1893 Statue of the Republic by Daniel Chester French is an enduring icon of the World’s Fair in [...]

By |2021-04-02T11:14:54-05:00February 21st, 2021|Categories: NEWS|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

The Decline of Christopher Columbus

CoinWeek has published an article describing yet another arena in which the commemoration of Christopher Columbus is in decline: coin collecting. Heinz Tschachler’s “Christopher Columbus: His Decline in Numismatics and the Nation’s Collective Memory” chronicles the “flagging interest” in the explorer due to both the lack of an authentic portrait of Columbus and changing social and cultural views of his place in history. Tschachler includes a description how the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition launched the Columbus half-dollar—the very first [...]

By |2023-12-28T11:44:01-06:00October 21st, 2020|Categories: ANTIQUES|Tags: , |0 Comments

University of Notre Dame will cover its Christopher Columbus murals

The painting used as the source for a Columbian Issue U.S. postage stamp will be removed from public view at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The basis of the engraving design for 10-cent Columbian stamp titled “Columbus Presenting Natives” is Return of Columbus and Reception at Court (1880-84), the largest of twelve murals about the life and voyages of Christopher Columbus by Italian painter and Notre Dame art professor Luigi Gregori. The painting depicts Columbus’ [...]

By |2023-10-20T21:25:50-05:00January 24th, 2019|Categories: ANTIQUES, NEWS|Tags: , |0 Comments

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Whaleback, “Christopher Columbus” (p. 67)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 67 – THE WHALEBACK, "CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS." THE WHALEBACK, "CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS."—The steamboat company accorded the privilege of controlling the passenger traffic by water between the central part of Chicago and the Fair Grounds had a number of boats in its service but none to compare either in size or speed with the "Christopher Columbus,' popularly known as the "Whale-back." The "Christopher Columbus" was one of the best of the type [...]

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Santa Maria (p. 66)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 66 – THE SANTA MARIA THE SANTA MARIA.—The duplicate of the flagship of Columbus, the famous  "Santa Maria,” had many thousands of visitors as she lay in Lake Michigan, just in front of the grounds, one of the most interesting of all the Exposition's attractions. The hosts who boarded her and examined her every part, accustomed as they were to the big ships of today, were surprised at her [...]

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – The Convent of La Rabida (p. 61)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 61 – THE CONVENT OF LA RABIDA THE CONVENT OF LA RABIDA.—In marked contrast with the great modern structures near it was the reproduction at the Exposition of the Convent of La Rabida, or, to express its title more correctly, the Convent of Santa Maria de la Rabida, which means The Convent of St. Mary of the Frontier. It was to this convent that Columbus went when most wearied [...]

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – Statue of Columbus Taking Possession (p. 57)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 57 – STATUE OF COLUMBUS TAKING POSSESSION Only in a lesser degree than that accorded the Statue of the Republic was attention secured by its commanding situation to the statue representing Columbus taking possession of America. It stood in front of the eastern portal of the Administration Building, where were always throngs assembled whether the attendance of the Fair was light or heavy. In this part of the plaza [...]

The First Ticket Sold at the World’s Fair?

The following story about Opening Day of the Columbian Exposition on May 1, 1893, comes from “Sketches and Anecdotes of the Fair” in the June 1893 issue of Current Literature [public domain]. A contrasting story published in the Chicago Daily Tribune reported that the first person on the fairgrounds on Opening Day was a man from Oskaloosa, Iowa. Whether or not the story below is true … it should be. Probably the most humorous incident of the opening day [...]

By |2022-01-22T12:48:38-06:00May 10th, 2018|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , |0 Comments
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