Monday, October 13, 2008

Hyde Park and Venice

To my knowledge, none of the books on either the history of Venice-of-America or the history of the Chicago Exposition notes the following (rather obvious) similarity:

The Golden Door of Louis Sullivan's Transportation Building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair:

The entrance to the Dancing Pavilion at Venice-of-America:

People have noted that Abbott Kinney's Venice-of-America contained a Midway, which was in conscious emulation of the Midway at the Chicago Exposition. Venice-of-America's Midway consisted mostly in amusements that Kinney purchased from the 1903 St. Louis World's fair. Here's a postcard view of the Midway at Venice-of-America:

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