Book Description
This exceptional chronicle takes readers on a visual tour of the glittering "white city" that emerged along the swampy south shore of Lake Michigan as a symbol of Chicago's rebirth and pride twenty-two years after the Great Fire.

The World's Columbian Exposition, which commemorated the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to America, was held from April to October in 1893. The monumental event welcomed twenty-eight million visitors, covered six hundred acres of land, boasted dozens of architectural wonders, and was home to some sixty-five thousand exhibits from all over the world. From far and wide, people came to experience the splendors of the fair, to witness the magic sparkle of electric lights or ride the world's first Ferris wheel, known as the Eiffel Tower of Chicago.

Norman Bolotin and Christine Laing have assembled a dazzling photographic history of the fair. Here are panoramic views of the concourse--replete with waterways and gondolas, the amazing moving sidewalk, masterful landscaping and horticultural splendorsÐ-and reproductions of ads, flyers, souvenirs, and keepsakes. Here too are the grand structures erected solely for the fair, from the golden doorway of the Transportation Building to the aquariums and ponds of the Fisheries Building, as well as details such as menu prices, the cost to rent a Kodak camera, and injury and arrest reports from the Columbian Guard.

This unique volume tells the story of the World's Columbian Exposition from its conception and construction to the scientific, architectural, and cultural legacies it left behind, inviting readers to imagine what it would have been like to spend a week at the fair. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

great book!!!!!
this book is great and gives wonderful information and facts....worth the money and is a great buy.

Chicago Colombian Exposition
A thorough history, interestingly written and beautifully illustrated.A good follow-up to "Devil in the White City".

very interesting
I found this book quite fascinating.I have been reading Erik Larson's wonderful "The Devil in the White City" but since that comes with virtually no illustrations, I bought this book primarily for the photographs, of which it has a great many and which go a long way to conveying just how huge this fair was (there were 735,000+ visitors on the day that had the highest attendance rate).

It also fills in information Larson's book lacks about the exhibits themselves, the individual state and country buildings and the Midway as well as statistics on how much food was served every day and how many bathrooms were available plus it shows pictures of the moving sidewalk that took visitors who arrived by boat to the fair itself; the Xerxes telescope; many displays and decorations made out of corn and oranges; the foreigners who were part of the Midway attractions; the Wooded Island; the first automated paint sprayer (with which a crew of three was able to paint the interior of the entire Manufacturers and Liberal Arts Building in only six weeks); a lifesize statue of a wooly mammoth, then thought to have been the largest animal to have ever walked the earth; and several pictures of the Ferris Wheel under construction.It also has a table showing what attractions were available and how much they cost and one indicating which architect designed which building (something Larson's readers will appreciate).

The only real problem I had with the book (and the reason for four stars instead of five) is that it's printed on regular paper stock and not on glossy paper so the photographs are somewhat blurry and grainy and not as crisp as they would have been had the publisher used different paper.Also the book provides a copy of the map of the fairgrounds given by Montgomery Ward to it's customers but this map is too small plus it's printed so that part of it lies in the book's center crease.I think it would have been better if the publisher had had a map drawn and used that or had found one that provided more information.There is a three dimensional map of the Exposition available on the Web -- it would have been nice if something like that had been included as well since it's impossible to get a comprehensive, birdseye view of the Fair (nevermind one in relation to Chicago and the surrounding community) from just the photographs.There is also a bibliography and a somewhat incomplete index. I don't know how this book compares to other pictorial books on the Exposition but it was fine for what I needed and had lots of bits of interesting trivia besides. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

World's Fairs and the Leisure Class
Robert W. Rydell's book,All the World's a Fair:Visions of Empire at American International Expositions, 1876-1916 is far different a study than Roy Rosenzweig's, yet it offers some interesting insights into how the moneyed leisure class still indulged in luxuries of their own.Rydell writes that the impetus behind world's fairs was to boost the economy while maintaining an American authority over the displays.Just as saloons and amusement parks were necessary for America's working class, the World's Fairs were designed for the leisure class.
The world fairs of 1876-1916 betrayed a much more sinister agenda.Ideas of American progressed became related to scientific racism.The widening concern over immigration by the leisure class eventually promoted eugenicist ideas about the hierarchy of white populations.
World's fairs did not stand in direct opposition to the leisure pastimes of the working class.In fact, they utilized them to "scientifically" and racially segregate members of the American population.
Rydell argues that the world's fairs in America from 1876-1916 were a material vision of political, business, and intellectuals to promote their vision of racial dominance.Thus, so far we have witnessed segregation of leisure along class lines but not until reading ,All the World's a Fair:Visions of Empire at American International Expositions, 1876-1916is it so clear that the elements of leisure rested on racial superiority.

Great historical study
This book is an extensive study of American World's Fairs from 1876 to 1915, a pivotal period in this country's history. The author gives a lot of historical background about that era, plus a lot of well-researchedinformation about the expositions of that period. He does a great job ofshowing how these expositions were designed to lure the public intosupporting the interests of the power structure of the time. In addition tothe text, there are a lot of photographs, some quite rare, to give thereader a feel for these expositions. ... Read more

Book Description
A sumptuously illustrated commemorative volume marks a key turning point in American art. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

World Fairs as Seen Through a Marxist Lens
If you want to know what the Worlds' Fairs would look like to a Marxist, then this is the book for you. The basic idea of Marxism is that Capitalism is an unsustainable system of "consumption" that relies on exploitation and imperialism to feed itself. The thesis of this book is that the Fairs were tools of the Bourgeois to enjoin the masses to become fully engaged in the imperialistic feeding frenzy that was Capitalism from 1850-1950. The meaning of the fairs is as broad an issue as the meaning of Capitalism and western civilization - you can't find the meaning of the fairs by looking only at the fairs themselves. Such an analysis naturally depends heavily on the context the author brings to the task - and Rydell's context is Marxism.

I loved this book.
Rydell posits that the world's fairs that occurred from the late 19th century until the mid-twentieth century were designed to promote corporate and government agendas of imperialism, and to inaugurate the populace intoa culture of unchecked consumerism.After reading this book, I'mconvinced. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
At the time of the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, the United States was fast becoming the world’s leading economy. Chicago, the host city, had grown in less than half a century from a village to the country’s second-largest metropolis. During this, the Gilded Age, the world’s most extensive railroad and steamship networks poured ceaselessly through Chicago, carrying the raw goods and finished products of America’s great age of invention and industrial expansion. The Fair was the largest ever at the time, with 65,000 exhibitors and millions of visitors. It has been called the “Blueprint of the American Future” and marked the beginning of the national economy and consumer culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Grand Illusions
This book was published by the Chicago Historical Society in conjunctionwith its exhibition of the same name, which ran from May 1, 1993 (the 100thanniversary of the opening of the Chicago World's Fair) until July 17,1994.After the preface, the book is divided into four sections, bydifferent essayists:MEMORY AND THE WHITE CITY -- how the fair wasremembered through souvenirs and publications, and how scholarly writingsperpetuated its Beaux-Arts architectural influence into not only subsequentworld's fairs, but also American cities, until the modernist backlash ofthe 1930's.BUILDING AN ILLUSION:THE DESIGN OF THE WORLD'S COLUMBIANEXPOSITION -- the debate over how best to transform the swampland ofJackson Park into a White City symbolic of Chicago's recovery from thegreat fire of 1871, including about a page on each of the major structuresof the Court of Honor.FIXING THE IMAGE:PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE WORLD'SCOLUMBIAN EXPOSITION -- the conflict between the organizers'"official" photographer C.D. Arnold and the legions of fairgoersarriving with their own photographic equipment, ranging from cumbersometripod-mounted large-plate cameras to the newly invented Kodak"C" handheld box cameras.A CULTURAL FRANKENSTEIN? THE CHICAGOWORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION OF 1893 - since one of the book's sponsors is"The National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency",this is the obligatory race/class/gender chapter, focusing on the protestsmade by African-Americans, Native Americans, "Esquimaux",Dahomeyans, etc.Although the exposition had its own Board of LadyManagers, not to mention a Woman's Building devoted exclusively to femaleaccomplishment in the arts and sciences, women are portrayed asmarginalized and oppressed.Even the popular Midway (entertainmentsection) is criticized for making nonwhite cultures seem "exotic"or "savage" (which to the Chicagoan of 1893, they probably were). However, the illustrations here, as well as throughout the book, areexcellent -- the color plates are particularly well reproduced.Thoughcurrently out of print, this book is a "must" addition to thelibrary of any lover of the Chicago World's Fair, or turn-of-the-centuryAmerica in general.

Grand Illusions: Chicago World's Fair of 1893
This book was published by the Chicago Historical Society in conjunction with its exhibition of the same name, which ran from May 1, 1993 (the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Chicago World's Fair) until July 17,1994.After the Preface, the book is divided into four sections, bydifferent essayists:MEMORY AND THE WHITE CITY--how the fair wasremembered through souvenirs and publications, and how scholarly writingsperpetuated its Beaux-Arts architectural influence into not only subsequentworld's fairs, but also American cities, until the modernist backlash ofthe 1930's.BUILDING AN ILLUSION: THE DESIGN OF THE WORLD'S COLUMBIANEXPOSITION--the debate over how best to transform the swampland of JacksonPark into a White City symbolic of Chicago's recovery from the great fireof 1871, including about a page on each of the major structures of theCourt of Honor.FIXING THE IMAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE WORLD'S COLUMBIANEXPOSITION--the conflict between the organizers' "official"photographer C.D. Arnold and the legions of fairgoers arriving with theirown photographic equipment, ranging from cumbersome tripod-mountedlarge-plate cameras to the newly invented Kodak "C" handheld boxcameras.A CULTURAL FRANKENSTEIN? THE CHICAGO WORLD'S COLUMBIANEXPOSITION OF 1893--since one of the book's sponsors is "The NationalEndowment for the Humanities, a federal agency", this is theobligatory race/class/gender chapter, focusing on the protests made byAfrican-Americans, Native Americans, "Esquimaux", Dahomeyans,etc.Although the exposition had its own Board of Lady Managers, not tomention a Woman's Building devoted exclusively to female accomplishment inthe arts and sciences, women are portrayed as marginalized and oppressed. Even the popular Midway (entertainment section) is criticized for makingnonwhite cultures seem "exotic" or "savage" (which, tothe Chicagoan of 1893, they probably were).However, the illustrationshere, as well as throughout the book, are excellent--the color plates areparticularly well reproduced. Though currently out of print, this book is a"must" addition to the library of any lover of the ChicagoWorld's Fair, or turn-of-the-century America in general. ... Read more

Book Description
In the American Southwest, no two events shaped modern Spanish heritage more profoundly than the San Diego Expositions of 1915–16 and 1935–36. Both San Diego fairs displayed a portrait of the Southwest and its peoples for the American public.

The Panama-California Exposition of 1915–16 celebrated Southwestern pluralism and gave rise to future promotional events including the Long Beach Pacific Southwest Exposition of 1928, the Santa Fe Fiesta of the 1920s, and John Steven McGroarty’s The Mission Play. The California-Pacific International Exposition of 1935–36 promoted the Pacific Slope and the consumer-oriented society in the making during the 1930s. These San Diego fairs distributed national images of southern California and the Southwest unsurpassed in the early twentieth century.

By examining architecture and landscape, American Indian shows, civic pageants, tourist imagery, and the production of history for celebration and exhibition at each fair, Matthew Bokovoy peels back the rhetoric of romance and reveals the legacies of the San Diego World’s Fairs to reimagine the Indian and Hispanic Southwest. In tracing how the two fairs reflected civic conflict over an invented San Diego culture, Bokovoy explains the emergence of a myth in which the city embraced and incorporated native peoples, Hispanics, and Anglo settlers to benefit its modern development.

Bokovoy peels back the rhetoric of romance and reveals the legacies of the San Diego World’s Fairs to reimagine the Indian and Hispanic Southwest. ... Read more

Book Description
The Great Extravaganza details the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905 from its planning stage, through the heady days of the fair, and into the decade of growth and prosperity that followed. Abbott captures the progressive sentiments that motivated early twentieth-century developers and politicians and the part the Exposition played in the development of Portland.

Now in its third edition since its original publication in 1981, The Great Extravaganza includes a new introduction by Carl Abbott along with historic photographs that give readers a tour of the extensive fairgrounds, the grand exhibit halls, and the dozens of attractions that drew a million and a half people to Portland during the summer and early fall of 1905. ... Read more

Product Description
The pictures in this exhibition book feature over 120 works and were selected by Millard B. Rogers and Gervais Reed. Biographical information on each artist is included. Illustrated with 78 black-and-white plates. Size: 6.75 x 9.0 inches. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Planning, published by American Planning Association on April 1, 1993. The length of the article is 2300 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The 'white city' at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition formed the nucleus of Daniel Burnham's 1909 plan to transform Chicago, IL, into a beautiful, functional city. Burnham's was the first comprehensive city plan in the US. The plan aimed to rationalize development for the future while incorporating Baroque-style beautification projects. Critics, however, fault Burnham for ignoring the British Garden City movement and for designing office-lined boulevards, which become ghost towns at night. Many of Burnham's proposals that were cut short by the Great Depression are being reconsidered today.

Citation Details
Title: Play it again, Dan; a look at the legacy of the world's fair and the 1909 Chicago plan. (Daniel Burnham, 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Illinois)
Author: James, Jr. Krohe
Publication: Planning (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 1993
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: v59Issue: n4Page: p18(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Part amusement park, part museum, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, generally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was the turn-of-the-century forerunner of today's theme parks and megamalls. This handsome book takes readers on a tour of the fair. Images from the Missouri Historical Society's collections, many reproduced from rare glass-plate negatives, show the buildings, the "human exhibits," and even aerial views. A special chapter of snapshots taken by fairgoers provides personal views of attractions on the Fair's entertainment district, known as the Pike, and other popular destinations. ... Read more

Book Description
While rebel colonists in New England dump tea into Boston Harbor, a rebellious, red-haired, convent orphan a continent away in Mexico City plots to escape the stifling treadmill to which she is bound. In her post as the indentured companion of a nobleman's spoiled daughter, fiery Gabriella Salagado is befriended by the devoted Elias Martinez and becomes his wife only to find herself drawn to the aristocratic Martin de Neve. Dreams of a new beginning lead Elias and Gabriella to follow Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza in a thousand-mile trek from Nueva Espana's northern frontier to the California coast. Despite her youth, Gaabriella is a skilled nurse and proves useful to her fellow pioneers. The expedition faces danger and hardship. Feisty Gabriella is accused of witchcraft, challenged by superstitious paisans and manhandled by natives. But the most unexpected surprises of all await her in California. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Do you teach Chicago history?
Then this book is a must-have. Admittedly short on plot, this book does a great job of putting the reader at Chicago's Columbian Exposition of 1893.The characters are charming and give great insight into what experiences one would have when visiting the World's Fair. In addition, we learn aboutBertha Palmer, philanthropist, and Jane Addams, social reformer:twoimportant female historical figures in history.Reading this book is thebest way to learn about one milestone event in Chicago's history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well-written analysis of a monumental event
I came across this book while writing a paper about the 1904 World's Fair in college and did not expect to become so engrossed in it.Clevenger makes the reader feel like they are sitting at the Fair right next to thefour Fair visitors she examines.This book is more than an easy-readingnovel, though.Clevenger sets the Fair into a larger social and politicalcontext and shows the reader how the 1904 World's Fair had concreterepercussions on the worldviews of its visitors.The novel-like format anduse of diaries from the Fair are merely more effective ways to hold ourattention. ... Read more