Gilded Age
Roshaan Singh
3/5/2013
Zuber 3rd
The Fair’s Footprints The World’s Colombian Exposition was a remarkable event that changed the face of America by introducing innovative new technologies, introducing and assimilating different cultures to the country, revolutionizing society and the roles of people, implementing pastimes and entertainment into American life, and illustrating the effects of urbanization. The Fair introduced life-changing new technologies to the world and catalyzed the discovery of innovative methods for architecture. Early in the book the architects run into the issue of creating buildings on the marshy Chicago earth for fear that the buildings would sink into the ground, posing numerous health risks and safety hazards. To combat this obstacle, Root devised a plan of layering multiple steel beams in a grillage, and then covering the grillage with Portland cement which would create a sort of floating foundation. This newfound method of architecture helped spur on future architects to build where the soil was not adequate enough for old fashioned architecture. The Fair used this method in Jackson Park for almost every building and let the world know that anything is possible in America. In relevance to the architecture, Francis Millet invented spray painting when he was assigned the job of Director of Color for the Exposition which made painting significantly more efficient and visually appealing. Aside from architectural advances, the Exposition brought forth complex ideas such as AC electrical current to things as simple as Juicy Fruit gum. The implantation of AC electricity in the World’s Fair marked the point where America jumped ahead of the rest of the world in infrastructure. Tesla’s AC current was much safer and efficient than Edison’s DC current, but combining Tesla’s AC current with Edison’s light bulb proved to be the epitome of technological advancement of the era. The light bulb changed the face of the nation, allowing people to
3/5/2013
Zuber 3rd
The Fair’s Footprints The World’s Colombian Exposition was a remarkable event that changed the face of America by introducing innovative new technologies, introducing and assimilating different cultures to the country, revolutionizing society and the roles of people, implementing pastimes and entertainment into American life, and illustrating the effects of urbanization. The Fair introduced life-changing new technologies to the world and catalyzed the discovery of innovative methods for architecture. Early in the book the architects run into the issue of creating buildings on the marshy Chicago earth for fear that the buildings would sink into the ground, posing numerous health risks and safety hazards. To combat this obstacle, Root devised a plan of layering multiple steel beams in a grillage, and then covering the grillage with Portland cement which would create a sort of floating foundation. This newfound method of architecture helped spur on future architects to build where the soil was not adequate enough for old fashioned architecture. The Fair used this method in Jackson Park for almost every building and let the world know that anything is possible in America. In relevance to the architecture, Francis Millet invented spray painting when he was assigned the job of Director of Color for the Exposition which made painting significantly more efficient and visually appealing. Aside from architectural advances, the Exposition brought forth complex ideas such as AC electrical current to things as simple as Juicy Fruit gum. The implantation of AC electricity in the World’s Fair marked the point where America jumped ahead of the rest of the world in infrastructure. Tesla’s AC current was much safer and efficient than Edison’s DC current, but combining Tesla’s AC current with Edison’s light bulb proved to be the epitome of technological advancement of the era. The light bulb changed the face of the nation, allowing people to