1893 World's Fair
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The World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492. The Chicago Columbian Exposition was, in large part, designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted.
The exposition covered more than 600 acres (2.4 km2), featuring nearly 200 new (but purposely temporary) buildings of predominantly neoclassical architecture, canals and lagoons, and people and cultures from 46 countries. More than 27 million people attended the exposition during its six-month run. Its scale and grandeur far exceeded the other world fairs, and it became a symbol of the emerging American Exceptionalism.
Widely praised as the best world’s fair of all time, relive the magic at the Field Museum’s landmark exhibit, Opening the Vaults: Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair on display until September.
From the Ferris Wheel to the zipper, Devil in the White City is a true historical account not only of the World’s Fair, but of Dr. HH Holmes and his World’s Fair Hotel. To learn more about Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, please visit: www.randomhouse.com/crown/devilinthewhitecity