The Recent Calamity On The Grounds Of The Columbian Exposition At Chicago
By: Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
Date: 1893
Dimensions: 14.5 x 9 inches (image size)
This is an original, hand-colored, antique print from the July 20, 1893 issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.
The largest marvel at the fair, the Cold Storage Building, was known as the “Greatest Refrigerator on Earth.” This five-story building included a warehouse for food storage and an ice-skating rink on the top floor for fair patrons. To operate these refrigeration units, a 200-foot iron chimney was installed on its roof. Focused on the aesthetics of the structure, builders masked the unsightly smokestack with a wooden tower. A cupola finished off the central tower, its base resting just thirty inches above the rim of the chimney flue—creating what would come to be a deadly fire hazard.
One of the deadliest fires in Chicago’s history erupted in the Cold Storage Building at the World’s Fair on July 10, 1893. The estimated 50,000 bystanders’ cheers for firefighters would soon fall silent as they watched the conflagration spread to the nearby buildings and kill thirteen firefighters and four civilians.
Condition: Excellent condition with vibrant colors on clean paper and ample margins on all sides.
Inventory #90261
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622