The World's Columbian Exposition 1893
The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 was the first World's Fair to be held at Chicago (the second
one was the Century of Progress Exhibition of 1933). It celebrated
the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492. The iconic centerpiece of
the Fair, the large water pool, represented the long voyage Columbus took to the New World. Chicago bested
New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St. Louis for the honor of hosting the fair. The Exposition was an
influential social and cultural event and had a profound effect on architecture, sanitation, the arts,
Chicago's self-image, and American industrial optimism.
The layout of the Chicago Columbian Exposition was, in large part, designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted. It was the prototype of what Burnham and his colleagues thought a city should be. It was designed to follow Beaux Arts principles of design, namely French neoclassical architecture principles based on symmetry, balance, and splendor. Many prominent architects designed its 14 "great buildings". Artists and musicians were featured in exhibits and many also made depictions and works of art inspired of the exposition.
The fair ended with the city in shock, as popular mayor Carter Harrison, Sr. was assassinated by Patrick Eugene Prendergast two days before the fair's closing. Closing ceremonies were canceled in favor of a public memorial service.
On the medallic side, the fair generated an inordinate number of coins, medals, plaques and memorabilia. The most famous medal was the prize medal designed by America's greatest medallic sculptor of the day: Augustus St. Gaudens. St. Gaudens had been awarded the contract to design the prize medal to show that American medals could artistically hold their own against European medals. At the time, it was widely acknowledged that the medals designed by the U.S. Mint were artistically uninspiring and lacking appeal when compared to the best medallic works from the European continent. St. Gaudens was regarded as the country's best chance to prove that American art could compete at the same level.
This did not sit well with Charles E. Barber, the Chief Engraver at the U.S. Mint. He had wanted the contract for this medal awarded to the Mint. Barber saw his chance when the design for the prize medal's reverse was leaked early. As it turned out, St. Gaudens had included a nude boy on the reverse, something that was quite common on European medals but very unusual in American art. Pressure mounted to force St. Gaudens to redesign the reverse to make it less explicit. He resisted at first but then gave in and started working on a redesign. In the meantime though, Barber had used his government contacts to lobby for the reverse being awarded to the U.S. Mint. The controversy between the two sides kept the country entertained for several years.
Through some very underhanded and shady dealings on the part of Barber's supporters St. Gaudens lost the battle and, to add insult to injury, Barber himself got to design the reverse for St. Gauden's Columbian Fair medal. St. Gaudens had pushed the limits and the establishment had fought back and defeated him. It was undoubtedly a great injustice that was committed against him but it should not have come totally unexpected. American morality of the day was not yet ready for European Beaux Arts designs.
Click on the Medals tab to see some of the medals issued for this exposition.
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