Court of Honor, Looking East, World's Columbian Exposition 1894

Curator: William Henry Jackson captured this image, "Court of Honor, Looking East, World's Columbian Exposition." Editor: It has a very grand, almost dreamlike quality to it, doesn't it? The scale is immense, yet the monochrome lends a sense of distance. Curator: Indeed. Jackson, renowned for his Western landscapes, turned his lens here to document the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. It reveals much about America's aspirations at that time. Editor: Right, this "White City," as it was called, was a deliberate statement of progress and civilization—a counterpoint to the social issues simmering beneath the surface, like labor unrest and racial inequality. Curator: Precisely. The architecture, the layout, everything was designed to project an image of American exceptionalism on the world stage. Editor: And look at the flag so prominently displayed. It speaks volumes about the intended narrative. Curator: It does. Considering the indigenous populations that were displaced and ignored during this period, Jackson's picture is a layered artifact—a celebration and a stark reminder of what that "progress" cost. Editor: Absolutely. This image invites us to unpack not just what's visible, but also the complex realities that it obscures.