Souvenir of White City

The 1893 World’s Fair, known as the World’s Columbian Exposition, was held from May 5 to October 31, 1893, in Chicago, IL. It celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival to the "New World." The exposition was an epoch-making event as it marketed and shaped the imagined "future" city. The Fair featured pavilions of 46 cultures around the world and around 200 new (mostly temporary) buildings. The buildings were connected by avenues and boulevards with many canals and basins giving the impression of an ideal or dream city. 

The Fair was also known as "White City" because the temporary buildings—built along the city's Lake Michigan coast line—were made by a construction material called staff: a mixture of plastic, cement, and other materials that gave the impression of being marble. "White City" was built by a group of architects under the supervision of Daniel Burnham; it featured a Court of Honor, a Transportation Building, an Administration Building, a Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, an Anthropological Building, and an Electrical Building. Electricity was highlighted through a series of dazzling displays, visually captivating, entertaining, and interactive exhibits. As of 2024, only two of the buildings built for the fair remain; one houses the city's Museum of Science and Industry. 

About 25 million people visited the World's Columbian Exposition, and many more experienced it in newspapers, magazines, and journals. Promotional souvenirs such as buttons, glassware, prints, postcards, medals, and charms prolonged the experience of the Exposition for attendees.