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An external view of the Transept Crystal Palace from the Prince of Wales Gate vantage point. Vincent Brooks of Day and Sons Publishers completed this colored lithograph in 1851. In the front of the palace a crowd of fair attendees can be seen, including a man selling pies and sailors on shore leave. Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum
An internal view of the Transept Crystal Palace showing the famous Osler Crystal Fountain. John Absolon of Llyod Brothers & Company completed this color lithograph in 1851.
Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum |
At the 1904 Saint Louis Fair, called the “Louisiana Purchase Exposition” a group of Sinhalese dancers posed with elephants. This area of the fair was known as the “Mysterious Asia concession.” Courtesy of St. Louis Public Library Digital Collections
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State buildings became a staple feature of World’s Fairs hosted in the United States. Participating states would design elaborate buildings to showcase their exhibits, similar to the way national pavilions would feature their home countries. These buildings served as a symbol of their creators by using local materials and integrating designs based on regional architecture.
Committees devoted both time and money in order to represent their state in the best light on such an international stage. |