The World's Columbian Exposition: The Chicago World's Fair of 1893 Summary and Reviews

The World's Columbian Exposition: The Chicago World's Fair of 1893
by Norman Bolotin, Christine Laing

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Book Summary Information

Author: Christine Laing, Norman Bolotin
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2002-06-12
ISBN: 025207081X
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Book Reviews of The World's Columbian Exposition: The Chicago World's Fair of 1893

Book Review: The White City revisited
Summary: 4 Stars

I purchased this book after watching a two hour PBS special on the Columbian Exposition. My imagination was captured, and I wanted more. I purchased the excellent The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson (which I also recommend) and this book at the same time. They compliment one another quite well. I believe I enjoyed both more by pairing them than I would have enjoyed them individually.

The photos contained in this book are astounding. Even living near Chicago, and having been to the location of the Midway Plaisance and having seen the few architectural remnants of the fair (most notably the Science and Industry Museum), it is hard to imagine the scale and overall aesthetic of so many Greco-Roman buildings in one place. The book was very useful for making the fair come alive in my imagination, and for giving a general sense of scale.

As an aside, if you ever visit Chicago, take the time to visit the location of the fair. You can take a walking tour of the area, and begin to create your own internal map of where the buildings stood. Finish up at the Museum of Science and Industry (which remarkably doesn't have an exhibit on the fair, one of the most important events in Chicago's history!) You will not be disappointed.

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