Chicago exposition of 1893

DEFINITION

A celebration of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, this Exposition, officially called the World's Columbian Exposition, was a huge fair held on 686 acres of undeveloped land in Jackson Park in Chicago. Members of the United States Congress selected the site and designated Frederick Law Olmsted as designer of the specific site. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was Supervisor of Sculpture, whose official style was Classical. A huge lagoon was installed in the central area of the exhibition buildings. Exhibits featured technological progress, architecture, sculpture, and decorative arts. A midway had an amusement park and pavilions for states and nations. The name White City was given to the Fair because the main buildings were made of plaster and horsehair, a temporary material that was gleaming white. There were 200 buildings, displays from 79 countries and 38 states. Highly attended, the event was an unprecedented success of showing the amenities and progress of modern life. Source: Donald Martin Reynolds, "Masters of American Sculpture"