Gezicht op het Illinoisgebouw op de World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 1893

Charles Dudley Arnold made this photograph of the Illinois Building at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. This world fair was held to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, but it also acted as an opportunity for the United States to display its cultural achievements. The image creates meaning through visual codes that reference classical architecture, communicating power and wealth to those who viewed it. This was a time of rapid industrialization and social change in America. The fair was intended to present an image of progress and civilization, and it acted as a self-conscious promotion of conservative values. Historical research reveals that the fair was also criticized for its exclusion of minority groups and the reinforcement of racial stereotypes. Images like this one should therefore be understood as contingent on their social and institutional context, and their meaning is always open to interpretation.