1893 Novelty Cane Map of the Chicago World's Fair or Columbian Exposition
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Description: An extremely rare and unusual cane and map prepared in 1893 for the Chicago World's Fair or, as it is better known, the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The map extends from an internal roller mechanism in the top of the cane. It is printed and hand colored on both sides. The primary side shows the grounds of the Columbian Exposition, now Jackson Park and the Field Museum, naming all important buildings walks, pavilions, markets, etc. Among the specific sites noted are "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show & Congress of Rough Riders", the Chicago University Grounds, and the various pavilions established for manufacturing, mining, transportation, liberal arts, agriculture, machinery, etc. In the upper left quadrant there is a aerial view of the entire fair. A larger inset along the right hand side of the map focuses on the Midway from Stony Island to Cottage Grove.
The 1893 Columbian Exposition or Chicago World's Fair was a pivotal moment in the history of the United States. Chicago won the right to host the World's Fair over New York, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. During its six month run, nearly 27,000,000 people, roughly half the population of the United States at the time, attended the fair. Its numerous displays and exhibits established conventions for architecture, design, and decorative arts, in addition to initiating a new era of American industrial optimism.
The layout and design of the fair, as seen here, is the world of Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted, the genius behind New York City's Central Park. Most of the fair was designed in the Beaux Arts tradition, a popular movement in Paris that was quickly gaining global momentum. In the years following the fair, this influential architectural style redefined the cityscape of Chicago, Boston, New York, and many other prominent American cities.
Printed by August Gast of St. Louis for the Columbian Novelty Company of Chicago. Originally sold in the gift shops of the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
Date: 1893 (undated)
Cartographer: The Columbian Novelty Company (October, 1891 - 1909) was a Chicago based organization established in expectation for the 1893 Columbian Exposition or Chicago World's Fair. The company's founders were John D. Brooks of Brooklyn, John W. Baker of South Orange New Jersey, and Fred W. Bingham of New York City. The Columbian Novelty Company, initially based at 315 Dearborn Street, Chicago, issued a number of novelty items related to the Worlds' Fair. Their business model was to acquire interesting patents or clever machines and gizmos and apply to them novelty factors associated with the fair. Some of their products included canes with roll out maps, slot machines, saddles, silvery and gold jewelry, etc. Following the Columbian Exposition the move around a bit with references to it in New York, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. Little seems to have been manufactured following the turn of the century and the Columbian Novelty Company's Nebraska charter was officially canceled in 1909. Click here for a list of maps by the Columbian Novelty Company.
Cartographer: August Gast (c. 1892 - 1900) was a printer and publisher active in St. Louis and New York in the late 19th century. Gast, though stylizing himself as a "map publisher" was mostly focused on bank note and revenue stamp lithography. Gast's business took off in 1893 when the Revenue Act of March 3 1883 repealed the two cent tax on checks and drafts. Consequently check and other bank notes no longer required an affixed revenue stamps, however, the public, familiar with such, proved suspicious of any such document that did not bear a official stamp. Thus a flourishing publishing business emerged in which bank and other documents were printed with semi-official "tax" stamps. Gast was one of the most prominent such publishers active in both New York and the Midwest.
Size: Printed area measures 16 x 10 inches (40.64 x 25.4 centimeters)
Condition: Good condition. Rolls into cane, but this is not advised as it may not come back out. Some minor rips and archival tape repairs to the Chicago Side of the Map. Partially detached from brass end grip. We recommend mounting the map and cane as-is or removing the map from the cane for separate display. Measurement noted is for the map only, the cane itself is 30+ inches in length.
Code: ChicagoWorldsFair-columbiannovelty-1893 (Necessary for phone orders : 646-320-8650)
Framing: We offer optional framing services. The fee to frame and mat this map is 275.00 USD plus 35.00 USD shipping. This optional service is in addition to the cost of the map itself. Conservation framing is an excellent way to beautify and protect your antique map. Click here to read about our framing services and see our frame samples. To order framing, please call our customer service number.
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