Improvements in and relating to Structures especially adapted for Exhibition Purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Structures especially adapted for
Exhibition Purposes.
I, GEORGE MONTAGUE WHEELER, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at No. 930 16th Street N.W., in the City of Washington, District of
Columbia, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide a method of classification of exhibits,
which consists in so locating the various exhibits or groups of exhibits in respect
to each other that contiguous groups shall always present both their relation,
have also devised
correlation, and an order of development; and for this purpose
a structure comprising one or more parts in which advantage may be taken of any
possible site, whether the structure be in the shape of a circle, a square, an ellipse,
a trapezoid, a rectangle, or parallelogram, without departing from the order in
which the various groups may be exhibited.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention-
Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the grouping and arrangement of various
buildings constituting the exhibition structure, and also showing my system of
classification of exhibits.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are modifications of the same.
Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 of the group of buildings
showing an architectural arrangement of the sanie with respect to height.
While I have shown this part of my invention as consisting in the order of
grouping a series of buildings each to contain some special exhibit, it is obvious
that the same plan may be followed in the space comprised under one roof in which
the divisions illustrated in the plan by separate buildings will be formed by
partitions or railings with passage ways disposed in the same manner, or that it
may be a combination of simple buildings and sub-divided buildings; and for this
reason I have used the word "structure" in my Specification and claims to
indicate both a single building having the described divisions or series of buildings,
in which each building constitutes a division.
Figure 1 shows a circular structure having concentric and radial divisions or
buildings separated by concentric circular aisles which in turn are intersected by
In this wise
radial aisles which terminate in or near the centre of the structure.
the entire group of buildings is readily subdivided into compartments or exhibit
reservations, and each part is rendered readily accessible along least distance lines
by a direct passage from any one point to any other given point in the group,
however remote. But I do not limit myself to the circular shape there shown, as
it is obvious that the reservations and divisions may be bounded by right lines,
provided always that the aisles leading from the centre be radial, and that the
concentric passages be parallel.
In Figures 2, 3, and 4 I have shown various modifications of my invention as
applied respectively to an ellipse, a square and a parallelogram.
Where a circular or ellipsoidal form is given to the structure, boundary divisions
may be added as in Figure 1, either one or more, dependent upon the available
ground space to be occupied. These boundary divisions are separated from the
central structure by surrounding passages, as shown.
In place of having the radial passages intersect at the centre of the structure, I
may provide a central reservation having a surrounding passage in which terminate
the radial passages.
In the centre of the exposition space may be placed the initial motive power

page_text: necessary for all the exhibits, and rising therefrom may be constructed an octagonal
tower, in size and height proportioned to the magnitude of each undertaking and
overlooking the whole field.
Whenever the particular surrounding building is of sufficient size to require it, I
provide a continuous central arched passage lighted from the top, and upon which
the different exhibits front, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.
It is thus seen that whatever the shape of the ground space allotted for an
exhibition, a structure can be erected thereon in conformity with my invention,
availing itself of the entire surface with the greatest possible economy of space and
preserving, whatever its contour may be, a uniform and unvarying arrangement
and sequence of divisions and an orderly and accessible means of passage along
least distance lines from one division to the other.
Another advantage of the structure which I have described consists in its perfect
adaptation to my system of classification of exhibits, and its capacity for illustrating
such system.
My system of classification is based upon the grand departments within which
are comprised all the mental and manual work of the world. These are the
domains of thought, industry, and government, to the first of which is allotted the
central circle of the structure. In consonance with a possible or an assumed law
of evolution, the next concentric circle is that of the domain of industry, and the
exterior circle that of government.
The combined functional parts, such as theosophy, etc. of the world of thought as
defined by my classification, are taken from the cardinal developments up to the
present epoch, and follow, to a great extent at least, the evolution of the human
mind, through its emotional, imaginative, and reasoning faculties.
The world of industry comprises all that mental and manual work has produced
in this branch of the world's economy.
The governments (from those based on one-man power to that of every man
power, controlled by law) have followed also a species of evolution and are placed
on the exterior as being and to become the natural and actual outgrowth of the
relations and results of the worlds of thought and industry.
Each space or world is again subdivided into smaller divisions occupied by
groups, those on the same circumference being located with respect to their
correlation; while they exhibit radially a species of development according to the
following series :
Around the central reservation represented in my structure by a tower, I have
grouped for convenience and illustration the most important current and historic
results in electricity, a power from among the imponderable now already so wide,
and which promises to become universal in its application. The structure enclosing
these will be of modern style of architecture. This for mechanical convenience
occupies the first or inner circle of the whole space.
Proceeding now in the order already stated, the central portion of the exposition
space allowed to the domain of thought is assumed as the point whence the various
arts resulting from the application of mind (subdivided into its emotional, imagina-
tive and reasoning faculties) subjectively and objectively emanate sequentially and
radially outward, noted by the types of (1) mythology, (2) law, including literature
and the fine arts, (3) science, (4) invention, (5) industry, (6) government; and
pari passu outward from the centre the schools of architecture from the ancient to
the modern times are represented. The concentric banded spaces allotted to,
aggregating and comprehending the domain of the world of thought are as
follows:
1. Mythology, theosophy, theology, metaphysics moral philosophy and psychology,
with special subjects of history, physiology and medicine.
2. Law, literature, art, music, poetry, song, painting and sculpture.
3. Science, natural or experimental philosophy, physics, chemistry, astronomy,
mathematics, geography, geology, mineralogy, meteorology, natural history,
biology, engineering, architecture, economics, statistics, sociology.

page_text: 4. Agricultural, mining, manufacturing and commercial inventions, placed in
immediate juxtaposition to these classes of exhibits respectively.
The buildings to be placed within the first concentric band are to be representative
of Saracenic, Egyptian, Jewish, Indian, Persian and Chinese architecture.
The construction in the circular band dedicated to law, etc. will represent each
an individual of the Greek as well as the Roman schools, and the various other
architectural schools or epochs.
The circular banded space dedicated to science may have all the buildings of
the Gothic order of architecture.
The inventions are to be enclosed under well lighted and commodious structures
illustrative of the modern Italian and English schools, the Renaissance and the
current American.
Again concentric and exterior to the perimeter of the circle representing the
domain of thought, comes the more ample space devoted to the world of industry,
subdivided into agriculture, mining, manufacture and commerce.
Encircling the space for the industries is placed a banded enclosure in which all
the functions of government may be displayed, the legislative and judicial (each
separated from the other) and the present known administrative divisions of the
executive branch, such as state, war, navy, post office, interior, justice, commerce,
industry, public works, public worship, and instruction and fine arts.
Special exhibits for the government are provided for, as shown in Figure 1;
and disposed in various directions (noted cartographically at the exterior corners)
may be appropriate spaces for objects too bulky for the main body of the industrial
exhibit.
In functioning my system of classification within the structure or exposition
buildings which I have described, certain architectural features may be employed
for the sake of greater convenience.
Buildings placed within the first concentric band and illustrative of the world of
thought and its architectural development may be uniform as to height, usefully
sub-divided, and may increase in size radially outward until those employed for
inventions shall be subordinate only to the grand structure devoted to the industries,
and perhaps to certain buildings used by the governments.
Central as to the banded space belonging to the world of industry will be a
continuous arched passage lighted from the top, and upon which the different
exhibits shall front.
The grand structure for the industries encompassing the space appropriated to
the world of thought may be a building with vertical sides, elliptic-shaped roof,
well lighted at sides and top. This space may be approached from cardinal points
and entered through triumphal arches, appropriate each to the special industry.
The most convenient intercommunication possible has been provided for all points
of the entire space along radial and circumferential lines that may be varied in
proximity as required. The scale of distance is arbitrary, dependent upon the
scope of each undertaking, and need not be proportionate to that of the chart
herewith.
Such in brief is a methodical and comprehensive general plan and system for a
temporary or permanent world's exhibit, the details of which admit of being modified
in the location, construction, and arrangement according to the departments,
without departing from the spirit or intent of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An improvement in the art of building, which consists in a covered structure
for the disposition of exhibits having radial and concentric exhibit divisions and
corresponding thereto, radial avenues, and intersecting therewith a series of parallel
concentric avenues leading around the area, said avenues freely communicating

page_text: with each other, and the said structure and sub-divided area being adaptable in its
own shape and configuration to every kind of site, substantially as described.
2. An improvement in the art of building, which consists in a structure for the
disposition of exhibits having radial and concentric exhibit divisions, separate
exterior exhibit divisions bordering on a communicating avenue coincident with
the perimeter of the more central divisions and corresponding to said central
divisions, radial avenues, and intersecting therewith a series of parallel concentric
avenues leading around the area, said avenues freely communicating with each
other and with said separate exterior exhibit divisions, substantially as described.
3. An improvement in the art of building, which consists in the combination with
a structure for the disposition of exhibits having a central reservation, of a motive
power located in said central reservation, and from whence emanates and is
distributed the power necessary for the successful illustration of the exhibits, and
of a tower which rises from the interior of said central reservation, dominating the
whole structural field, substantially as described.
4. A structure for the disposition of exhibits, having a central reservation,
contiguous divisions surrounding it in bands, aisles separating said banded divisions,
aisles extending from said central reservation to the perimeter of the structure and
intersecting said surrounding divisional bands and aisles, and boundary divisions
having a communicating aisle coincident with the perimeter of the central divisions,
whereby to illustrate scientifically the successive development, relation and
correlation of the various groups of exhibits.
Dated this 10th day of October 1893.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.