“In November 1893, the journalist Kate Field asked what should be done with the buildings of the World’s Columbian Exposition, the great majority of which were built as temporary structures. “Apply the torch and let it go down in a day,” was one reply. Field felt a twinge of sadness for the millions who hadn’t had the chance to see with their own eyes “the greatest achievement of the nineteenth century.”
“If you could go back in time to see the World’s Columbian Exposition, how would you prepare for life in Chicago? Here are some suggestions drawn from travel guidebooks for Chicago and from advice printed in newspapers from around the world.” (Nichols, 11/20/19)