At the Fair

In 1890, the U.S. Congress chose Chicago as the locale to honor the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. The city subsequently established the World's Columbian Exposition Company to finance and oversee the building of the fair. Under the direction of Daniel H. Burnham, and following Frederick Law Olmsted's plan for the fairgrounds, the lakefront swamp of Jackson Park was transformed into the glittering "White City." The Administration Building seen here was the portal through which most visitors would enter the fair. It was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt as an octagon topped by a dome that rose 275 feet, higher than the dome of the U.S. Capitol. Morris was just one of several architects that contributed to the exposition's architecture. That list would also include the renowned Louis Sullivan, William LeBaron Jenney, Charles McKim and John Root.