Customer Reviews

The World's Columbian Exposition: The Chicago World's Fair of 1893

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

I purchased this book after watching a two hour PBS special on the Columbian Exposition. My imagination was captured, and I wanted more. I purchased the excellent The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson (which I also recommend) and this book at the same time. They compliment one another quite well. I believe I enjoyed both more by pairing them than I would have enjoyed them individually.

The photos contained in this book are astounding. Even living near Chicago, and having been to the location of the Midway Plaisance and having seen the few architectural remnants of the fair (most notably the Science and Industry Museum), it is hard to imagine the scale and overall aesthetic of so many Greco-Roman buildings in one place. The book was very useful for making the fair come alive in my imagination, and for giving a general sense of scale.

As an aside, if you ever visit Chicago, take the time to visit the location of the fair. You can take a walking tour of the area, and begin to create your own internal map of where the buildings stood. Finish up at the Museum of Science and Industry (which remarkably doesn't have an exhibit on the fair, one of the most important events in Chicago's history!) You will not be disappointed.

Our book club reviewed Devil in the White City about the Chicago World's Fair, and our leader brought this book to show us pictures of the locations and scenes mentioned. I was especially impressed by the pictures of the Ferris Wheel. This book was indispensible for background, setting the scene and adding flavor to the book we reviewed. I thought it did a thorough, informative job in depicting the Fair, and enriched our reading of Devil in the White City.

Before the Olympics the world gathered together for the World's Fair. The 1893 Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago and it was a magnificate display of art, imagination and innovation. All the states and territories of the US at the time had their own place. Countries from all of the world displaying the cultures most of which ordinary people never saw in their life time. The book is very detailed on each and every thing that was at the Fair. Arts, machines that could do almost anything, fashion, jewelry, weapons of war, perfumes and so many different cultures. It sounded like so much fun.

This is probably the best book ever written for the general reader about a world's fair. The spacious photos take you there, and the narrative informs you about everything - and duzn't waste a word! I have no hesitation - I'll send it to my brother in Brooklyn (who shares my interest in sociology, trains, etc.) After reading all of the story, I recommend that you give a second, leisurely look at the photos. And I think you'll have an uncanny feeling that you have visited the Chicago World's Fair yourself! I remember going to the 1950s Chicago Fair, called "Wheels 'a Rolling" on transportation, but I guess nobody wrote it up.

My son became interested in the Chicago World's Fair after watching it on TV. He has enjoyed finding out more information about it.

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

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