Icing on the Cake

The Chicago 'Columbian Exposition' of 1893 is supposed to commemorate the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, 400 years earlier. Instead, it's a huge party for American technology and industrial might.

Electricity is the big newcomer, but everything is on a grand scale, starting with the giant Hall of Manufacturing. Other exhibit halls are crammed with machinery, novelties, cultural exhibits and scientific curiosities.

Ominously, military power is also on display. There's a huge naval gun barrel, shipped in from Germany, and even a full-size mockup of a new style of American battleship. The Expo lasts three years, attracting 30 million visitors.
Chicago Expo, 1893

  Cherry on the Top
Rising at warp speed from the ashes of the 1871 fire, Chicago is the city of the future. It's growing faster than any city has ever grown, and is situated at the gravitational center of an expanding country. The fairyland that magically appears on a swampy stretch of shoreline is full of fountains, plazas and picturesque lagoons, evoking the opulence of European capitals.

Electric lighting, 1893

  Lighting up the Night
The centerpiece of the show is the newcomer. Electricity. It's seemingly everywhere, from the spotlight that swings about the grounds, to the moving walkways, elevators and train cars. All powered by electricity. The generating equipment is equally impressive. Both Edison and Tesla have individual displays, but the show marks the end of Edison's crusade to power the world with his brand of DC electricity. Tesla's AC version will power the future.


Armaments, 1893

  Armaments Showcase
The naval gun shown above (left) is made by Germany's famous Krupp company, which furnishes most of Germany's armor and largest weapons all the way through the Second World War. Krupp brings it to America in hopes that Americans might be interested in buying some. Similar guns, smaller and made in America, are mounted on US Navy warships, like the mockup of the yet-to-be-built Illinois (lower right). In the Science Hall, the telescope (top right) has a lens which is 40 inches in diameter.