As the grandest international spectacle in a great age of spectacles, the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 captured the public’s imagination through a dazzling array of visual images, from photographs, paintings, and illustrated albums to souvenirs, guidebooks, magazine features, and popular histories. But the allure of the fair depended less on the aesthetics of single objects than upon its status as a total, unified work of art.
Featuring works of art and ephemera from the Newberry’s extensive collection of exposition materials, Pictures from an Exposition explored the fair’s tremendous power of attraction, both at the time of its presentation and through history into the present, for both those who attended and those who experienced it from afar. Opening during the exposition’s 125th anniversary year, the exhibition paid special attention to the dynamic between fine art and popular imagery, the intertwining of aesthetic and economic imperatives, and the ways in which the exposition’s visual language reflected the important role that images played in late 19th century American history and culture.
Pictures from an Exposition was curated by Diane Dillon, the Newberry’s Director of Exhibitions and Major Projects.
This program was part of Art Design Chicago, an exploration of Chicago's art and design legacy, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art with presenting partner The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
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Public Program
- Music at the 1893 World’s Fair - On October 17, 2018, in conjunction with the “Pictures from an Exposition” exhibit, the Newberry hosted a performance of music from the 1893 World’s Fair. Accompanied by commentary from musicologist Don Meyer, a group of musicians performed rousing renditions of “souvenir music,” songs that were quickly written to commemorate (and capitalize on) various aspects of the fair at the time. These songs included “Columbian Polka” (Lillian Mathewson), “The Ferris Wheel Waltz” (George Valisi), and “Midway Plaisance” (Dennis Mackin and W.T. Jefferson).