The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the World's Columbian Exposition Records 1891-1930
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| Title: | World's Columbian Exposition. Records |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1891-1930 |
| Size: | 13 linear feet (12 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | This collection includes documents and ephemera from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It includes photographs, newspaper clippings, reports, guides, and visitor memorabilia. |
This collection is open for research. Photographs by C. D. Arnold and E. R. Walker have been digitized and are available as part of the University of Chicago Photographic Archive.
Original documents, texts, and images represented by digital images linked to this finding aid are subject to U. S. copyright law. It is the user's sole responsibility to secure any necessary copyright permission to reproduce or publish documents, texts, and images from any holders of rights in the original materials.
The University of Chicago Library, in its capacity as owner of the physical property represented by the digital images linked to this finding aid, encourages the use of these materials for educational and scholarly purposes. Any reproduction or publication from these digital images requires that the following credit line be included: Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
The images presented here may include materials reflecting the attitudes, language, and stereotypes of an earlier time period. These materials are presented as historical resources in support of study and research. Inclusion of such materials does not constitute an endorsement of their content by the University of Chicago.
The University of Chicago Library appreciates hearing from anyone who may have information about any of the images in this collection.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: World's Columbian Exposition. Records, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was organized in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing in America. The fairgrounds, open from May 1, 1893 until October 30, 1893, were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and covered more than 630 acres in Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance. Daniel Burnham oversaw the construction of nearly 200 new buildings for the fair, most of which were designed in the Beaux-Arts style. 27 million people visited the exhibition halls which displayed inventions in fields as diverse as mining, agriculture, and the liberal arts. Additional attractions included the world's first Ferris wheel, daily concerts by John Philip Sousa's concert band, lectures delivered by Eadweard Muybridge, belly dancers on a simulated "Street of Cairo", Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show, and the Viking, a replica of the Norwegian Gokstad ship. It was also at the fair that the public was introduced to Juicy Fruit gum, Quaker Oats, Hershey's chocolate, the hamburger, and electric light, which illuminated the grounds and helped to garner them the title, The White City.
The collection is divided into four series. Series I, Publication and Texts includes reports, guides, manuscripts and other documents produced by individuals and organizations associated with the exposition. Series II, Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, includes excerpts from outside publications about the fair. Series III contains invitations, tickets and other print ephemera and documentation of the fair.
Series IV, Photographs includes photographs by the Exposition's official photographer C.D. Arnold and by E. R. Walker, and 48 pages fromThe White City (as it was)... The artist who made these pictures is...W.H. Jackson... Chicago and Denver: The White City Art Company, c. 1894, a set of 80 photographs in 20 parts, with descriptive text by Stanley Wood. The photographs by Arnold and Walker have been digitized and are available as part of the University of Chicago Photographic Archive.
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:
Photographs by C. D. Arnold have been digitized and are available as part of the University of Chicago Photographic Archive.
Photographs by E. R. Walker have been digitized and are available as part of the University of Chicago Photographic Archive.
Series I: Publications and Texts |
| Box 1 Folder 1 | Souvenir notebook for fair visitors, from The Travelers of Hartford Conn., with notes from unidentified fairgoer, 1893 |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | Pamphlets and reports, 1891-1893
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| Box 1 Folder 3 | World's Columbian Exposition. The Javanese Theatre, Java Village, Midway Plaisance, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893: Containing Also a Short Description of Java, the People, Languages, Customs, Food, Products, Etc. Chicago: Java Chicago Exhibition Syndicate, 1893 |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Official Guide, World's Columbian Exposition, 1893 |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | World's Fair through a Camera: Snap Shots by an Artist, 1893 |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Chicago Illustrated Martin's World's Fair Album- Atlas and Family Souvenir, 1892 |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | University of Chicago, publications, 1892-1923
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| Box 1 Folder 8 | Publications and Clippings about Restoration and Destruction of Fair Buildings, circa 1930 |
| Box 1 Folder 9 | Publications from other Columbian celebrations, circa 1892-1894
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| Box 1A | Bretonière, Sailing Flight, from Observations made at Constantine, Algeria, holograph essay with annotations on experiments in aerial flight, undated |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | Department of Publicity and Promotion, foreign language press releases, 1892 |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | "World's Columbia Exposition Illustrated," April 1893 |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | "Supplement to the Columbian Serial" Prints, 1894 |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | "World's Fair Notes," undated |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | "The Youth's Companion World's Fair Number," 1893 |
| Box 2 Folder 6-8 | Columbian Album: Containing Photographic Views of Buildings and Points of Interest about the Grounds of the World’s Columbian Exposition, Rand McNally, Parts 9, 10, 11, 1894 |
| Box 2 Folder 9 | The Chicago Tribune Art Supplements (incomplete), 1893 |
| Box 2 Folder 10 | C. Graham, The World’s Fair in Water Colors, 1893 |
Series II: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings |
| Box 2 Folder 11 | Clippings and fragments, circa 1893 |
| Box 2 Folder 12-14 | The Standard, Chicago, clippings, 1892-1893 |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | Clippings on Social Reform |
| Box 3A | The Chicago Herald, October 9, 1893 |
| Box 3A | The Inter Ocean, Illustrated Supplement, October 22, 1892 |
| Box 3A | Chicago Daily Tribune, souvenir poster, October 21, 1892 |
| Box 3A | "Building Our Great Fair," Harper's Weekly, September 17,1892 |
Series III: Documentation and Memorabilia |
| Box 4 Folder 1-1a | Invitations to the Comte de Balincourt, General of the French Pavilion |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | Invitations to events and ceremonies, to Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Russell, 1892 |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | Invitations to events and ceremonies, 1892 |
| Box 4 Folder 4 | World’s Columbian Exposition, stock certificate and notices of dividends paid, 1892-1904 |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | Customs agreement for the "German Empire" exhibition |
| Box 4 Folder 6 | Programs and brochures, circa 1892-1893
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| Box 4 Folder 7 | Admissions Tickets and Passes, 1892-1893 |
| Box 4 Folder 8 | Ground Floor Plan, Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building |
| Box 4 Folder 10 | Print Ephemera |
Series IV: Photographs |
The photographs by Arnold and Walker have been digitized and are available as part of the University of Chicago Photographic Archive.
Subseries 1: C.D. Arnold |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | Interior Women's Building |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | West from Roof of Liberal Arts Building |
| Box 5 Folder 3 | Arts Building from Wooded Island |
| Box 5 Folder 4 | Interior Manufacturer's Building, October 22, 1892 |
| Box 5 Folder 5 | South West from Roof of Liberal Arts Building |
| Box 5 Folder 6 | Horticultural Building Dome |
| Box 5 Folder 7 | Looking West from Café de Marine |
| Box 5 Folder 8 | Looking West on South Side of Grand Basin |
| Box 5 Folder 9 | South End Manufactures Building |
| Box 5 Folder 10 | Art Building |
| Box 5 Folder 11 | South Entrance Fisheries Building |
| Box 5 Folder 12 | Machinery Hall |
| Box 5 Folder 13 | Looking West on Grand Basin |
| Box 5 Folder 14 | Lagoon, Looking South |
| Box 5 Folder 15 | The Café de Marine |
| Box 5 Folder 16 | Lagoon and West Side Manufactures Building |
| Box 5 Folder 17 | Mines and Mining Building |
| Box 5 Folder 18 | Cold Storage Building Fire |
| Box 5 Folder 19 | Administration Building |
| Box 5 Folder 20 | North West from Liberal Arts Building |
| Box 5 Folder 21 | Liberal Arts Building from Wooded Island |
| Box 5 Folder 22 | Manufactures Building |
| Box 5 Folder 23 | Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building |
| Box 5 Folder 24 | Electricity Building |
| Box 5 Folder 25 | Loggia, Women's Building |
| Box 5 Folder 26 | Java Village, on the Midway |
| Box 5 Folder 27 | In the Esquimix Village |
| Box 5 Folder 28 | Japanese Ho-o-den |
| Box 5 Folder 29 | Japanese Tea Garden |
| Box 5 Folder 30 | Japanese Boat |
| Box 6 Folder 1 | The German Village on the Midway |
| Box 6 Folder 2 | German Gates in Manufacturs Building |
| Box 6 Folder 3 | Norway Building |
| Box 6 Folder 4 | Old Vienna on the Midway |
| Box 6 Folder 5 | Guatemala Building |
| Box 6 Folder 6 | India Building |
| Box 6 Folder 7 | Egyptian Temple on the Midway |
| Box 6 Folder 8 | A Gondola |
| Box 6 Folder 9 | Naval Exhibit |
| Box 6 Folder 10 | A Caraval |
| Box 6 Folder 11 | California State Building |
| Box 6 Folder 12 | Cliff Dwellers |
| Box 6 Folder 13 | Boone and Crockett Club House |
| Box 6 Folder 14 | The Peristyle and Arch, Looking Northeast |
| Box 6 Folder 15 | Convent of La Rabida |
| Box 6 Folder 16 | Untitled |
| Box 6 Folder 17 | Group on Colonnade |
| Box 6 Folder 18 | Statue of the Republic |
| Box 6 Folder 19 | Under the Ferris Wheel |
| Box 6 Folder 20 | Detail of the Columbian Fountain |
| Box 6 Folder 21 | Columbian Fountain and Machinery Hall |
| Box 6 Folder 22 | Columbian Fountain |
| Box 6 Folder 23 | Famer's Boy |
| Box 6 Folder 24 | Looking North from East End of the Colonnade |
| Box 6 Folder 25 | The Peristyle and Arch |
Subseries 2: E.R. Walker |
| Box 7 Folder 1 | Agricultural Building |
| Box 7 Folder 2 | Agricultural Building |
| Box 7 Folder 3 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 4 | Arts Building |
| Box 7 Folder 5 | Arts Building |
| Box 7 Folder 6 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 7 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 8 | Columbia Fountain |
| Box 7 Folder 9 | Columbus Statue |
| Box 7 Folder 10 | Convent of La Rabidia |
| Box 7 Folder 11 | Court of Honor |
| Box 7 Folder 12 | Court of Honor |
| Box 7 Folder 13 | Untitled Sculpture |
| Box 7 Folder 14 | Fisheries Building |
| Box 7 Folder 15 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 16 | Horticultural Building |
| Box 7 Folder 17 | Illinois State Building |
| Box 7 Folder 18 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 19 | Machinery Hall |
| Box 7 Folder 20 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 21 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 22 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 23 | Ferris Wheel |
| Box 7 Folder 24 | Peristyle |
| Box 7 Folder 25 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 26 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 27 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 28 | Statue of the Republic |
| Box 7 Folder 29 | Untitled |
| Box 7 Folder 30 | Womans Building |
Subseries 3: General |
| Box 8 | "Chicago World's Columbian Exhibition," bound album |
| Box 9 Folder 1 | Assorted Pictures |
| Box 9 Folder 2 | "World's Fair Photographs," bound album |
| Box 9 Folder 3 | “German Building, Chicago, Ill.” William Federbusch, 1908 |
Subseries 4: William Henry Jackson, The White City (as it was)... |
| Box 10 Folder 1 | Covers and fragments
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| Box 10 Folder 2 | Part 1
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| Box 10 Folder 3 | Part 2
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| Box 10 Folder 4 | Part 3
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| Box 10 Folder 5 | Part 4
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| Box 10 Folder 6 | Part 5
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| Box 10 Folder 7 | Part 6
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| Box 10 Folder 8 | Part 7
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| Box 10 Folder 9 | Part 9
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| Box 10 Folder 10 | Part 10
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| Box 10 Folder 11 | Part 11
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| Box 10 Folder 12 | Part 12
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| Box 10 Folder 13 | Part 17
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