Chicago fair, the 1889 world’s fair: a few questions

“ Did the people think that the Chicago fair would have any negative effects for the city?

I feel that the people of Chicago looked at the fair on the more positive side. They saw that this was their chance to show the world all that Chicago could demonstrate so that it would attract more recognition throughout the world. It had caused Chicago to go through a huge overall to not only meet the capacity for all the visitors, but also to show how spectacular the city is. Especially, they really wanted to outdo any of the other World Fairs that preceded this one.

How did the fair affect architecture in the United States?

The fair led to an architectural boom with more and more skyscrapers being built in places other than New York. It can be seen in every major city in the United States, from Boston to Los Angeles. It also led to American architecture to take a more modern and extreme approach, while still incorporating practicality. Erik Larson shows how the innovations pursued in Chicago during this time shaped new architectural advances in the United States.

How did Holmes get away with so many murders with leaving the least bit of evidence along with it?

Holmes motives to kill people can be questionable, but what is more intriguing is how he was able to get away with many murders while still retaining a minimal trace of evidence. He had the charm to lure the victims in for their wealth, especially their money. One thing that I found interesting was that he would design his buildings so intricately just to attract the least attention. Like when he bought the piece of land across from the drugstore in Englewood, and he would have made up companies and fake owners just to get by without notice.

Why did the architects want this fair to beat the 1889 World’s Fair?

They wanted to beat the previous Worlds Fair in 1889, in Paris, France. They had opened the so called “ Exposition Universalle”, which was said to be so gorgeous and that there would be no possible way for another Fair to outdo this one. This had made the Americans a bit angry, and this had lead to them to try and outdo their European Counterpart. They wanted to beat the Eiffel Tower, which is indefinitely a big challenge to take on in my perspective.

What happened to John Root and how did this effect his colleague?

The man had abruptly contracted pneumonia, and he happened to get better. The only issue that drove him into his grave was the fact that the stress for this big project lead to his casualty. It hit the hardest on Burnham, since, according to the beginning of the book “ They had become friends, then partners (Larson 20). It hurt Burnham mentally, as it had caused him to experience a tougher time to get this fair up and running without his right-hand man.

Why is the loss of Carter Henry Harrison to Burnham’s favor?

First, Harrison was running for Mayor. If he were to have been elected, there could have been a chance that the fair would not get enough capital to be as extravagant as Burnham wanted it. This had helped with the development of the fair itself, without having any issues with Politicians so that the fair would be able to open in the light that it wanted.”