Grand Illusions: Chicago's World's Fair of 1893 Review

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Grand Illusions: Chicago's World's Fair of 1893 ReviewThis book was published by the Chicago Historical Society in conjunction with its exhibition of the same name, which ran from May 1, 1993 (the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Chicago World's Fair) until July 17, 1994. After the preface, the book is divided into four sections, by different essayists: MEMORY AND THE WHITE CITY -- how the fair was remembered through souvenirs and publications, and how scholarly writings perpetuated its Beaux-Arts architectural influence into not only subsequent world's fairs, but also American cities, until the modernist backlash of the 1930's. BUILDING AN ILLUSION: THE DESIGN OF THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION -- the debate over how best to transform the swampland of Jackson Park into a White City symbolic of Chicago's recovery from the great fire of 1871, including about a page on each of the major structures of the Court of Honor. FIXING THE IMAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION -- the conflict between the organizers' "official" photographer C.D. Arnold and the legions of fairgoers arriving with their own photographic equipment, ranging from cumbersome tripod-mounted large-plate cameras to the newly invented Kodak "C" handheld box cameras. A CULTURAL FRANKENSTEIN? THE CHICAGO WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION OF 1893 - since one of the book's sponsors is "The National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency", this is the obligatory race/class/gender chapter, focusing on the protests made by African-Americans, Native Americans, "Esquimaux", Dahomeyans, etc. Although the exposition had its own Board of Lady Managers, not to mention a Woman's Building devoted exclusively to female accomplishment in the arts and sciences, women are portrayed as marginalized and oppressed. Even the popular Midway (entertainment section) is criticized for making nonwhite cultures seem "exotic" or "savage" (which to the Chicagoan of 1893, they probably were). However, the illustrations here, as well as throughout the book, are excellent -- the color plates are particularly well reproduced. Though currently out of print, this book is a "must" addition to the library of any lover of the Chicago World's Fair, or turn-of-the-century America in general.Grand Illusions: Chicago's World's Fair of 1893 Overview

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