Introduction to the Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893, was a world's fair with a chip on its shoulder. The official reason for the fair was to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America; the unstated reason was to prove the New World could compete with the Old, not only in industry but in beauty and sophistication.
The United States had embarrassed itself, some felt, at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. The American pavilion was a poor cousin compared with the elaborate displays of other countries, and it was (literally) overshadowed by France's Eiffel Tower, built for the fair.
The Columbian Exposition was a chance to prove the U.S. could do better. Several cities vied for the right to host the fair; cosmopolitan New York City seemed the likely choice. Congress instead awarded the commission to Chicago, a tribute to the city's fund-raising and fast-talking (it was during this campaign that Chicago was dubbed the "Windy City," and not because of its breezes). New York newspapers predicted failure and disgrace; how could a dirty industrial town of stockyards and meat-packers compete with European elegance? Now Chicago, as well as the United States, had something to prove.
When the fair opened (officially in 1892, 400 years after the Columbus landing, but actually in 1893), the consensus was that director of works Daniel Burnham had managed not only to equal the Paris fair, but surpass it. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of New York City's Central Park, had transformed 633 marshy acres along Lake Michigan into graceful lawns, fountains, and lagoons. Prominent American architects had built a "White City" of classical exhibit buildings that sparkled slightly in the sun during the day and were outlined with an unheard-of number of electric lights at night. An enormous Ferris Wheel, the first one ever dreamt of or seen, was built to "out-Eiffel Eiffel."
The almost 27 million visitors to the exposition (it's estimated that 25 percent of the U.S. population went to the fair) experienced the first "midway" (the amusements and ethnic villages were kept separate from the White City, to preserve its peaceful, park-like atmosphere), ate the first hamburgers and diet carbonated soda, and raised their eyebrows at the "claim checks" they were given when they left their offspring at the Children's Building. One thing most of them didn't carry was a camera; although portable Kodaks were popular, a license to bring a private camera onto the grounds was $2, more than the average daily wage at the time. (Consequently, most of the surviving images were taken by official exposition photographers; few truly candid shots exist.)
The exposition ran from May 1 to October 30, 1893. Its influence was felt far longer.
The United States had embarrassed itself, some felt, at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. The American pavilion was a poor cousin compared with the elaborate displays of other countries, and it was (literally) overshadowed by France's Eiffel Tower, built for the fair.
The Columbian Exposition was a chance to prove the U.S. could do better. Several cities vied for the right to host the fair; cosmopolitan New York City seemed the likely choice. Congress instead awarded the commission to Chicago, a tribute to the city's fund-raising and fast-talking (it was during this campaign that Chicago was dubbed the "Windy City," and not because of its breezes). New York newspapers predicted failure and disgrace; how could a dirty industrial town of stockyards and meat-packers compete with European elegance? Now Chicago, as well as the United States, had something to prove.
When the fair opened (officially in 1892, 400 years after the Columbus landing, but actually in 1893), the consensus was that director of works Daniel Burnham had managed not only to equal the Paris fair, but surpass it. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of New York City's Central Park, had transformed 633 marshy acres along Lake Michigan into graceful lawns, fountains, and lagoons. Prominent American architects had built a "White City" of classical exhibit buildings that sparkled slightly in the sun during the day and were outlined with an unheard-of number of electric lights at night. An enormous Ferris Wheel, the first one ever dreamt of or seen, was built to "out-Eiffel Eiffel."
The almost 27 million visitors to the exposition (it's estimated that 25 percent of the U.S. population went to the fair) experienced the first "midway" (the amusements and ethnic villages were kept separate from the White City, to preserve its peaceful, park-like atmosphere), ate the first hamburgers and diet carbonated soda, and raised their eyebrows at the "claim checks" they were given when they left their offspring at the Children's Building. One thing most of them didn't carry was a camera; although portable Kodaks were popular, a license to bring a private camera onto the grounds was $2, more than the average daily wage at the time. (Consequently, most of the surviving images were taken by official exposition photographers; few truly candid shots exist.)
The exposition ran from May 1 to October 30, 1893. Its influence was felt far longer.