Shelf · camera first
World’s Fairs
Surviving official photographs of international expositions. Not proof of a theory. Examine the plate, then set it beside the maps.
A shelf of plates. Not a religion and not a verdict. Official plates and archive links.
- Record what each plate depicts.
- Keep the photographer’s name and the fair’s own name.
- A photograph is a photograph.
- Dates are file labels for the fair, not a ranking.
Primary source
Chicago Public Library — C. D. Arnold Photographic Digital Collection
In 1893, Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, a World’s Fair celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. The Fair took place in Jackson Park, on Chicago’s South Side, and ran from May through October of 1893.
This digital collection includes the photographs from the first four (of twelve) volumes created by Arnold.
The library’s words, above. Not a retelling.
Plates
The caption is the archive title, the fair, the year, and the photographer. The picture opens the source page. A library date that is not the fair year stays on the caption.
Grand Basin and Court of Honor, looking west from PeristyleWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Open the plate
Art Palace, seen from southwest, across North PondWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Open the plate
Lagoon, looking eastWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Library date: 1891-07Open the plate
Administration Building, from southwest corner of Manufactures and Liberal Arts BuildingWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Open the plate
Ferris Wheel, from northwestWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Open the plate
Court Of Honor From Administration BuildingWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Named on the file page: C. D. Arnold; H. D. Higinbotham. Official Views of the World’s Columbian Exposition..Open the plate
Statue of the Republic, from Grand BasinWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Open the plate
Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building and Grand BasinWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Library date: 1892-07-23Open the plate
Transportation Building, central portion, looking eastWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Open the plate
Agricultural Building, from Grand BasinWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Open the plate
Horticultural BuildingWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Library date: 1892-08-01Open the plate
Midway Plaisance, from Woman’s BuildingWorld’s Columbian Exposition. 1893. Charles Dudley Arnold (1844–1927).Library date: 1892-05-26Open the plate
Other fairs
A row without a plate on this page stays a row. Plate needed means no picture was filed.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
1904. St. Louis. Plate needed.
Panama-Pacific International Exposition
1915. San Francisco. Plate needed.
Century of Progress
1933–34. Chicago. Plate needed.
New York World’s Fair
1939–40. New York. Plate needed.