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
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – Interior of Machinery Hall (p. 88)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 88 – INTERIOR OF MACHINERY HALL INTERIOR OF MACHINERY HALL.—Quite different from the view afforded inside any other of the buildings of the Fair was that where the acres of all kinds of modern machinery were exposed in competition. So constructed that the most effective display of such exhibits could be made, the vast hall presented a scene never equaled of its kind before. A common simile in describing [...]

By |2019-10-20T06:55:21-05:00October 20th, 2019|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , |0 Comments
Read More

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR – Machinery Hall (p. 68)

PICTURESQUE WORLD’S FAIR. AN ELABORATE COLLECTION OF COLORED VIEWS Page 68 – MACHINERY HALL MACHINERY HALL.—One of the most elaborate structures of the Columbian Exposition, Machinery Hall, or the Palace of Mechanic Art as it was termed officially, fully justified by its general effect the attention paid to ornamental details. The genius who achieved the lesser thing so well did not fail in the greater. Located at the south of the Grand Plaza and fronting to the east on [...]

By |2018-11-03T06:11:19-05:00November 3rd, 2018|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Remembering Robert Swain Peabody, architect of Machinery Hall

Robert Swain Peabody (February 22, 1845-September 23, 1917) died on this day at his summer home in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Cofounder of the renowned Boston architectural firm of Peabody & Stearns, he was one of the select east-coast architects invited by Daniel Burnham to contribute to the design of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Despite his pessimistic statement in 1891 about the prospect of constructing the World’s Fair on the rough grounds of Jackson Park (“It can’t be done”), [...]

By |2018-09-21T09:44:17-05:00September 23rd, 2018|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
Read More

A Night at the Exposition on the Fourth of July, 1893

“Combine all the adjectives in the English language that express beauty, loveliness, grace and perfection, even then you will fail to describe a gala night at the Exposition.” -- World’s Columbian Exposition Illustrated January 1894. July 4, 1893, was a special day at the World’s Columbian Exposition, designated as "United States Day." Attendance swelled to enormous 283,273 paid visitors, making this the largest attendance of any day so far—even greater than on Opening Day—and perhaps the largest festival attendance [...]

By |2023-12-08T09:12:00-06:00July 4th, 2018|Categories: REPRINTS|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Opening Day, Part 13: The Greatest Crowd

The Greatest Crowd This is Part 13 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. They saw a beautiful sight When the Opening Day ceremonies were over, visitors had time to look around the fairgrounds. They saw a beautiful sight: a forest of great buildings decorated with flags, banners, and streamers in artistic designs and harmony [...]

By |2024-02-07T08:33:02-06:00May 4th, 2018|Categories: OPENING DAY|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Opening Day, Part 10: The Great Transformation Scene

The Great Transformation Scene This is Part 10 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. As the last words fell from his lips at the conclusion of his short address, President Grover Cleveland placed his finger on the telegraph key. With his hand touching the electric switchboard, a chrysalis transformation scene was about to begin [...]

By |2022-10-10T08:59:18-05:00May 1st, 2018|Categories: OPENING DAY|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment
Read More

Opening Day, Part 3: A Sea of Humanity

A Sea of Humanity This is Part 3 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. As the procession of the President of the United States began its march south on Michigan Avenue, thousands of people in downtown Chicago began forming their own spontaneous parade to the World’s Fair. Everyone on West Madison Street and North [...]

By |2023-04-09T08:55:22-05:00April 24th, 2018|Categories: OPENING DAY|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment
Read More

In Like a Lion

The month of March, the saying goes, comes “in like a lion, out like a lamb.” Lions—both real and plaster—could be found at several locations around the grounds of the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. One example is Lions by German sculptor M. Arthur Waagen. This set of four lion sculptures adorned the base of the obelisk, which stood in the center of the Colonnade in the South Canal, between Machinery Hall and the Agricultural Building. The Chicago Daily [...]

By |2022-07-08T15:42:53-05:00March 1st, 2018|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Happy Birthday to Architect Robert Peabody

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Robert Swain Peabody on February 22, 1845. Peabody was a cofounder of the Boston architectural firm of Peabody & Stearns, designer of Machinery Hall (also known as the Palace of Mechanical Arts) and the Massachusetts Pavilion for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Architects invited by Daniel Burnham to contribute building for the World's Columbian Exposition gathered in Chicago on January 10, 1891. Robert S. Peabody traveled from the east [...]

By |2022-03-05T08:35:09-06:00February 22nd, 2018|Categories: HISTORY|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More
Copyright 2024 WorldsFairChicago1893 | All Rights Reserved |
Go to Top