Essay 1933 Chicago World's Fair

A World’s Fair is an “[I]nternational exposition that features exhibits dealing with commerce, industry, and science.” (World Book Encyclopedia 412) Entertainment is also present along with cultural activities. In 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, although inaugurated a year late, commemorated the discovery of America. I feel that the Exposition displayed some of the more beautiful architecture of its time; its immense buildings and sculptures drew heavily from Greek and other classical styles, and it could possible be because of the sweeping popularity in Beaux Arts architecture.

In the article "Why the Audience Mattered in Chicago in 1907” there was an element in the population that was left out of the mainstream focus of the entertainment business. Their cry out for attention created enough noise in the industry that caused laws to be put into place to protect the youth from the hypnotic effect of the big screen.

The attachment “Murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed america” to the title hardly does the novel justice. Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, a nonfiction novel that surrounds the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as The World’s Columbian Exposition. The novel follows the lives of two real men, Daniel Burnham, the architect who builds the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and H.H. Holmes, the serial killer who exploits the fair to find his victims. Many new inventions were introduced at the fair, such as Juicy Fruit gum, the Ferris Wheel, and many other novel ideas that impacted the lives of many people for generations. The beautiful fair Burnham creates provides the perfect distraction and lure for Holmes’ activities. In his novel The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson suggests that good and evil coexist in the world by using charged language, imagery and juxtaposition to show although people view the fair as a perfect dreamland immune to evil, it still lurks outside in the dark, influencing the rest of the world.

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, more formally known as the Columbian Exposition, was a fair constructed to celebrate Columbus’ arrival in the New World. Chicago was known as the White City, but did not appear as pure and spotless as its name suggested. For instance, there were many ways one could get killed. “Fire took a dozen lives a day...There was diphtheria, typhus, cholera, influenza. And there was murder.” (Larson 12). These unstoppable causes of death was one of the reasons Chicago’s reputation was tarnished. Furthermore, the Panic of 1893 struck and greatly affected the city of Chicago. The Panic’s effects included “financial crises”, “bankruptcy”, and “high rates of unemployment and homelessness”. (Panic of 1893). Because of the city’s economic depression, the fair would decide whether Chicago’s circumstances would improve or deteriorate. Eventually, the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair displayed what America would soon become in an industrial, military, and economic perspective.

Throughout parts I and II of the novel, Larson switches between the plotline of Burnham and the plotline of Holmes. The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair is introduced in chapter two. In this chapter we are also given more

     Although the Chicago World’s fair of 1893 only lasted 6 months, it had an enormous impact on the city of Chicago, its people, and indeed the entire country. Up until that point in its history, the US had done nothing on the scale of the world’s fair, and was regarded as a country of barbarians and cowboys by

The thought of Chicago hosting the world’s fair would be daunting at first, but it could turn around the reputation of Chicago from one of a city of gloom and darkness, to one of a city of light and progress from the Great Chicago fire of 1871, and that city would be fascinating for years to come. Chicago would get an economic shot in the arm from the revenue that it would get from hosting the 1893 World Fair and it would make Chicago into a great city of America. The event and also the transformation that would happen to the city of Chicago would not have happened if it would not be for one great man who had taken up the challenge to make sure to host this 1893 World fair.

Further exploration of this novel will help to locate the past, elevate the present, and imagine the future.

“Open ye gates! Swing wide ye portals! Enter herein ye sons of man! Learn the lesson here taught and gather from it inspiration for still greater accomplishments!” Spoken by David Francis Rowland, this declaration was heard in countries thousands of miles away, beckoning the brightest minds and the newest innovations from across the world to come to St. Louis for the 1904 World’s Fair. The fair brought together forty-three of the (then) forty-five states, as well as fifty foreign countries, to showcase the most recent advances in technology, foreign policy, the arts, and more that had been made since the Louisiana Purchase one hundred years ago. From the time of the Fair’s announcement to its closure in December of 1904, the “Gateway to the

Throughout the history of the United States, ingenuity and creativity have been a strong point in the development of the United States. In designing the buildings for the World’s Fair, Daniel Burnham shows his talent in architecture by creating new and innovative designs with his partner John Root. Both Burnham and Root had been already successful architects and known for their designs. Even before Chicago was confirmed as the site of the

Fifty-six countries and colonies participated, and close to 10 million visitors attended between 10 May and 10 November. As the first major international exhibition in the United States, the Centennial gave the focal point of the audience to American achievements, especially in industrial innovation. The Centennial celebration typified the contours of American society. Robert W. Rydell reason To Hold A World Exposition was to Help fabricate open support for accepting foreign and domestic policies. The idea of educating the general population was alluring to scientists. The centennial exposition strongly supported by the donations of the Smithsonian monetarily as well as artifacts.Wilbur O. Atwater stated " Expositions must teach not only to our people but to the world, what a young republic with all the crudeness of youth but heir to the experience of the ages he has done in it's brief past, is doing in the present and hopes to do in the greater future for its people and for mankind". The 1876 World Fairs Reflected efforts by America's intellectual, political and business leaders to establish a consensus about their priorities and vision of progress in racial dominance and

Haven’t made it to the Fair yet? There’s still time! Whether you’re into horse racing, monster trucks, amusement park rides or music, the Fair has something for everyone.

It was the first world fair ever to be open at night, because of Edison and his electrical inventions that illuminated everything. Whole heavens seemed to be in a state of recrystallisation. The Gallery of machines showcased machines for food processing , woodworking, pumps, transformers, engines etc. The Edison exhibit with thousands of incandescent bulbs, and telephones allowed people a glimpse at the future, phonographs playing ‘ Vive la France,’ were opened to the public for the first time who could not get enough of it. But the greatest technological marvel that loomed over, and astonished the fair goers was the Eiffel Tower, a triumph of engineering and architecture. EXOTIC( not native ) - The South American nations were represented in an extraordinary manner, the Argentine Republic was a glittering mass of incrusted gold and flashing crystals with colour upon colour. The Egyptian section had genuine donkey boys, the East Indian soldiers and Chinese were dressed in native costume. This section of the fair displayed France’s imperial mission through conquest of Indochina. Exotic music wafted out from the Arab cafes featuring female Egyptian dancers, accompanied by smells of oriental spices, sounds of Senagalese tom toms, Annamite and Polynesian flutes. In a sense the Indians with the Wild West cowboys were also exotic. The whole town

Imre Kiralfy, its coordinator, was the driving force behind the fair. He had found previous fame in running extravagant exhibitions, and lived up to expectations by planning the Franco-British Exhibition concurrently with that year's Olympiad, held in a stadium nearby. Kiralfy saw the fair as an opportunity to gain cultural respectability; however, since he was not a trained architect, he received much criticism on his designs. He designed the Court of Honor as well as the steel frames for all of the major buildings, then consulted the architects who devised the plaster facades to create the "White City." Many critics felt that he limited the creativity of the architects by giving them pre-planned structures for their buildings. Placing blame on Kiralfy, they denounced the cosmetic role leading architects were asked to fulfill, pointing out the "vulgar error of putting the wrong end of the stick before the horse." (Greenhalgh). There were also complaints that the buildings did not fit together, despite the overall whiteness of the fair. This was mainly the result of two very different countries contributing architecturally to the

In the Midwest, farmers were losing their land to mortgage foreclosures. American tourist deaths were attributed to a terrorist attack. A president known for his effective use of the media governed the United States. The U.S. cooperated in a change of government in the Philippines. Parents and churches criticized motion pictures for eroding American morals. And Appalachian State, after setting a new enrollment record, received favorable publicity in a national magazine. Sound familiar? Think again; you're 55 years off. The year was 1934 in the U.S.A.