World's Columbian Exposition Souvenir Medal
date: label: Date made
content: 1893
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Souvenir aluminum medal from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago Illinois. The Exposition, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage, was the second World's Fair held in the United States, the first being Philadelphia's 1876 Centennial Exposition.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The medal features an image of the Fair's most remembered feature, the Ferris Wheel. Designed by George Washington Gage Ferris Jr., the "Chicago Wheel" was as a response to the success of the Eiffel Tower, unveiled at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The wheel stood 264 feet high and featured 36 gondolas, each capable of holding up to 60 riders. An engineering marvel, it became the Fair's most prominent attraction, and like the Exposition itself, was used to promote civic pride and display American ingenuity.
label: Description
content: The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition was an assertive statement about American culture and identity. Celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World. The fair was created by American business, political and artistic leaders to exhibit American progress and to proclaim America's arrival as an economic and cultural force on the world scene. The Columbian Exposition's centerpiece was the remarkable Ferris Wheel, invented and designed to challenge the 1889 Paris Exposition's Eiffel Tower as the world's most modern wonder. The Fair was an enormous success, having 27 million visitors during its May through October run.
label: Description
content: In addition to exhibits relating to agriculture, science and industry, the Fair hosted a variety of cultural displays, including an exhibit of American art and performances from artists such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and John Philip Sousa. The exotic Midway attractions featured performers such as ragtime pianist Scott Joplin and the dancer Little Egypt.
label: Description
content: The African American community was essentially excluded except as performers and for the allowance of a single day for <i>coloreds only. </i> Black leaders disagreed on the proper response to this slight, some encouraging participation, while others demanding a change in policy, continuing America's ongoing national discussion about racial representation and exclusion.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
topic: label: Subject
content: Expositions and Fairs
label: related event
content: World's Columbian Exposition
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Larry Zim World's Fair Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0438.0662
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0438.0662
label: accession number
content: 1989.0438
label: catalog number
content: 1893NM16
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Medal
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: aluminum (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 3/4 in; x 4.445 cm