Our last discussion concerned Erik Larson’s non-fiction story of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the parallel story of Dr. H.H. Holmes, purported to be the United States’ first serial killer, titled The Devil in the White City. Two aspects of Larson’s account of that epic era in particular affected our group, and recent news stories highlight these aspects:
- The wonder of the World’s Fair. Most agreed that it was sad that it was a temporary exhibition, and it is something we would love to have seen. Last month Gizmodo featured an article (with photos) about pieces that have been recently found that were part of the Japanese pavilion on the controversial (at least in architect/designer Frederick Law Olmsted’s opinion) Wooded Island.
- The influential role the World’s Fair played in the United States’ development – from city planning to art to home goods. Larson does a great job of underlining the significance of the outcomes of the Fair. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting anecdote about how the Chicago World’s Fair influenced a 1960’s pop artist.
