Pan-American Exposition Monkeys

Illustration of two brown monkeys on a teal and white gradient background with red text and a red rim; the monkeys are illustrated in a manner similar to Michelangelo's depiction of God and Adam in the Sistine Chapel.

The Pan-American Exposition was a world's fair event that was held in Buffalo, New York in 1901 from May 1 to November 2. The event was meant to celebrate achievements throughout the American continents, but it is mostly known as the location of President McKinley's assassination.

Raphael Beck is the artist who designed the original Pan-American Exposition logo where the continents of North America and South America are depicted as two women holding hands where the continents meet, incidentally reminiscent of Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" on the Sistine Chapel where God and Adam nearly touch hands. While there is little information on the version of the logo where the continents are characterized as monkeys, there are in fact so many monkey species native to Central America and South America that they are referred to as 'New World' monkeys. These primate families contain the only monkeys with prehensile tails, as shown on the monkeys in this button.