Newberry Adult Education Seminars will meet virtually via Zoom. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. If you have questions about online learning, please reach out to seminars@newberry.org.

Seminar Description

In 1890, when Congress awarded Chicago the honor of hosting the next World's Fair, civic leaders and exposition designers had a daunting task ahead of them. After a 600-acre windswept lakefront site was identified, it had to be transformed into magnificent fairgrounds, and fast. This seminar explores the fascinating making of the fairgrounds for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, including the challenges faced by lead architects Daniel H. Burnham, John W. Root, and Charles Atwood, and landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Henry Codman.

One session. Registration – $50

Julia Bachrach is a historian and preservationist whose books include The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago’s Parks. She has conducted extensive original research on the work of Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted Brothers in Chicago.

Materials List

Required:

• A selection of shorter materials distributed by the instructor.

First Reading:

• There is no reading assignment for this seminar.

Registration Information

Registration opens at 9 am (CST) on Wednesday, May 19th. Newberry Associates members at the Literati level and above will have access to early registration beginning May 12th at 10am. Learn more about membership benefits and becoming a Newberry Associate.

Please note: For more information about registration, including a guide to online registration, see our Registration Information page. Questions? Please contact seminars program staff via email at seminars@newberry.org.

We offer a 10% discount to members, seniors, and students.

This seminar is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about registering for a seminar, program policies, or teaching a seminar.