My day got REAL nice today, but in order to explain why this is so special, a bit of background is required.
In addition to flying, I have another passion in life that is almost as strong, if harder to experience. That passion is researching and collecting items from the 1893 World's Fair held here in Chicago. Also called the Columbian Exposition, the fair was a celebration of Columus' 400th anniversary of landing in the New World. Even by today's standards, 110 years later, it is a sight to behold and still stands as one of the greatest achievements of men in the 19th century. The fair went from conception to opening in a mere 3 years, and coming only 21 years after the great Chicago fire almost obliterated 2/3 of the city, it showed the world the spirit of the people of Chicago and that nothing was beyond our grasp.
This is a picture of the West end of the center piece of the fair called 'The Grand Basin.'
The fair was designed to appeal to both rich and poor. For a .50 cent admssion, everyone was equal and all could wonder at the newest technology of the age. People could see amazing wonders, such as Edison's light bulb, his Kenetoscope (and early motion picture viewer), or the first Ferris Wheel (250 feet tall, each car could hold 60 people on the 20 minute ride). At the fair, people had their first taste of Cracker Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Diet Soda. The US Post Office got in on the game, by introducing the first post card and the fair recieved the first commemorative stamp set. There was even one 70 year old woman who walked from New York to Chicago to experience the Fair.
Built for the fair, only to be torn down a year later, Manufacturer's Hall was the largest Building in the World...
But in the center of it all, at the west end of the Grand Basin was the Statue of the Republic, by Daniel C. French. The Statue was 40 feet tall, sat in the center of the east end of the the Grand Basin. It was completely covered in gold plating. Since the beginning of my studies into this area, this statue has fascinated me. Every picture I have seen, every book I have read, has never told me the fate of the statue. I simply assumed when they destroyed the fair, they destroyed the statue along with it.
Today, after our trip to the Museum of Science and Industry, We went for a drive south of the museum to scope out the land that the fair sat on. The museum is housed in the only surviving building from the fair and was then The Fine Arts Palace. It was the only building designed to last, because of the millions of dollars of art it held. If you look hard enough, you can see where 110 years still cannot hide the effect the fair had on the area.
Turning down a side street and talking casually to my wife, I was suddenly shocked to see something I had never dreamed of seeing. The Statue of the Republic was standing there, on a dias in the middle of the street. I can't describe the feeling I had, with this statue appearing from nowhere. Items from the fair are rare enough to find, but here was a piece that was special to me, that all of my research in 5 years had never showed me existed. Not one photo, not one mention it had been moved, NOTHING. It is akin to me, if I had found the original Wright Flyer or an original ME 262. I was in awe. We almost crashed the car trying to get stopped and turned around to go back to it.
Incredible! This is a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life.
For more info on the 1893 Columbian Exposition, go here...
http://columbus.gl.iit.edu/
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