Gezicht op het elektriciteitsgebouw en de Columbian Fountain op de World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 1893

Charles Dudley Arnold made this photograph of the Electricity Building and Columbian Fountain at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. This image captures the spirit of technological optimism that defined the fair and the late 19th century more broadly. Held to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, the fair served as a showcase for American industrial prowess and cultural achievement. The Electricity Building, a temple to modern innovation, embodies this ambition. The photograph highlights the fair's carefully constructed image of progress and civilization, but it also inadvertently reveals the social hierarchies of the time. While the fair aimed to inspire awe and unity, it also reflected the racial and class divisions of American society, a theme that would be interesting to explore further. By consulting period publications, architectural plans, and social commentaries, historians can unpack the complex meanings embedded in this seemingly straightforward image.