Picturesque World’s Fair, An Elaborate Collection of Colored Views—Published with the Endorsement and Approval of George R. Davis, 1894
THE COLONNADE.—The southern termination of the waterways of the Exposition was at the Colonnade. It performed the same office, architecturally speaking, that the Peristyle did at the eastern extremity of the same series of lakes, lagoons and basins. Had it opened upon Lake Michigan, as did the Peristyle, instead of opening upon a view of windmills and stock-show buildings, it might have attained some such reputation as did the Peristyle itself, for it was beautifully designed on an imposing scale and was a work of art in the best sense of the expression. As it stood, it faced the south end of the South Canal and was the connecting curtain between the Machinery Hall and the Agriculture Building. Its design was quite as graceful as that of the Peristyle itself, and still it was not as striking in some respects from its lack of advantageous ornamentation, such as the quadriga and other specimens of Statuary afforded the Peristyle. It offset its lack in part by the Colonnade proper, which was thronged by thousands, and which afforded what was perhaps the most beautiful view attainable upon the Fair grounds; that is, a view to the northward over all the long stretch of the canal and lagoon and terminating only with the Art Palace to the far north. These views alone drew a host of people to the Colonnade. From its balcony, too, could best be seen the beautiful eastern and and western facades of Machinery Hall and the wonderful Agriculture Building. It was one of the points of vantage from which to obtain a general view of the White City.
THE OBELISK AND SOUTHERN COLONNADE.—A fitting termination made to the View south on the South Canal was fanned by the Southern Colonnade with the Obelisk in front. The Obelisk was history repeated in stone, or at least in its imitation, for it was a reproduction of the famous Cleopatra’s needle, the original of which, thousands of years old, was presented by the Khedive of Egypt to the United States and is now a prominent object in Central Park, in New York City. The Obelisk stood on a finely carved pedestal reached by a circle of steps descending to the water and was guarded by four great Nubian lions. Upon the pedestal, at each corner of the shaft, stood an eagle upon a globe, the four globes connected by garlands. On the monolith’s north front was the inscription:
- Four hundred years after the discovery of this continent by Christopher Columbus, the nations of the world unite on this spot to compare in friendly emulation their achievements in art, science, manufactures and agriculture.
The colonnade, in effect, connected Machinery Hall with the Agriculture Building, in closing from outer view the entire inlet of the South Canal from the Court of Honor and completing the picturesque view from the north. It was, architecturally, very nearly a continuation of the first story and loggia of Machinery Hall, than which it would be difficult to say more for its appearance. Ihe grand arch in the center was imposing and graceful and the groups of horses and cattle above were admirably designed. The colonnade became a very popular place of resort before the Fair ended.
Southern Colonnade
The archway offered an entrance to the amphitheatre in which were displayed the world’s thorough-bred beasts, and a station of the Intramural Railroad offered to those visitors who stopped at this point not only the greatest vista of the exposition, but, at night, an advantageous point from which to remark the play of rainbow-lights on sparkling waters, and the other illuminations which elicited the praise of mankind. The architect of the Colonnade was C. B. Atwood, of Chicago.
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