In Search of Tomorrowland
Photo from the 1893 Columbian Exposition Whenever I visit Chicago, my favorite attraction is the Museum of Science and Industry. The beautiful , massive building the museum calls home was once called the Palace of Fine Arts, and is now the last remaining structure of the Chicago World’ s Columbian Exposition that was held there in 1893. World’ s Fairs (or Expositions and Exhibitions , as they were also called) were long, multi-month events popular from 1851 to the 1960s. In a single location, they showcased and celebrated the world’s new technologies and inventions, scientific advancements, cultural contributions in art, and astonishing curiosities. They combined the enterprise of a trade show with the atmosphere of a carnival, which produced an effect that not only entertained, enlightened, and inspired, but also marked seismic shifts in society. People traveled great distances to get a glimpse of Edison’s latest invention, the Wright Flyer, one of Tesla’s experiments