Emilie Alcock LIS 717 Virtual Exhibit Evaluation November 4, 2012 Virtual Exhibit Evaluation The virtual exhibit

I have chosen to visit and evaluate is one from the Chicago History Museum entitled A Century of Progress. It is an exhibit concerning the Century of Progress International Exposition held in Chicago in 1933 and 1934. I found this exhibit through the Smithsonian Institutes Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web webpage, which enables users to search for online exhibits using a simple search of exhibit names, institutions, or subject terms, an advanced search using state and country, or by recent additions. The Century of Progress International Exposition was the 1933 Worlds Fair and it was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the City of Chicago. Its theme was to attempt to demonstrate to an international audience the nature and significance of scientific discoveries, the methods of achieving them, and the changes which their application has wrought in industry and in living conditions (Statement of Plan and Purposes for A Century of Progress Chicago International Exposition). It was held south of downtown Chicago, on 427 acres on Lake Michigan. Originally, the fair was supposed to run for the 1933 season only, from May 27 until November 12. However, due to the fairs huge popularity and as an effort to repay debts incurred, the length of the fair was extended to May 26 until October 31 of 1934 as well. This fair was the first to be funded through sources other than the government, although it too granted money for the construction of its own building at the fair. Although large debts were racked up,

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the money raised was done so during the height of the Great Depression. Due to the success of the fairs second season in 1934, the debts were paid off before its closing. The hallmark of this fair was its contrast to the White City of Chicagos previous Worlds Fair, the Columbian Exposition held in 1893. The Century of Progress fair followed a multicolored architectural scheme, dubbing this fair The Rainbow City. Indeed, the fair even had a director of color, Joseph Urban. In the fairs second season, the color scheme aided visitors in their progression through the attractions. At night, the fair was illuminated with white and multicolored lights. The most popular attractions for visitors were the Midway, with rides and other attractions; the Enchanted Island for children; the Belgian Village, which replicated a 16th century village with homes, shops, and a town hall (this part of the fair was imitated by many other exhibiting countries during the second season); the Temple of Jehol from China; the Sky Ride; and a recreation of Fort Dearborn, Chicagos first permanent settlement. In addition to showy attractions, there were also wonderful architectural spectacles at the Century of Progress fair. The Hall of Science and the Transportation building are two of the most memorable buildings at the fair, both built in the popular 1930s Art Deco style that became this fairs trademark. Near the Transportation Building were the pavilions of a number of automobile companies, including General Motors and Chrysler. The large majority of artifacts contributing to this exhibit are photographs. The exhibit contains 27 photographs. There are also a few physical artifacts: A sewing kit o Representative of the vivid color scheme Joseph Urban chose for the Century of Progress fair.

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A souvenir key o With box, appears to be carved from wood, although there is no certain information.

Scenes from the Midget Village in a nutshell o Literally, the small scenes were accordion-folded inside the shell of a nut.

Salt and pepper shakers o Mint green and yellow, no further description given.

A season ticket of Mr. Henry Denbufsky o Allowed Mr. Denbufsky to visit the fair up to 50 times; these season tickets were given to visitors who purchased memberships to the fair.

A wooden figurine of a police officer o Moveable legs with Worlds Fair /Chicago 1933/Czechoslovak Exhibit inscribed on the back (not shown).

A watercolor of the Glass Block Building o Caption indicates that the building was made of semi-transparent blocks of colored glass.

Although this is only an online exhibit, I still hoped for more artifacts; perhaps some interviews with attendees, maps, plans, and blueprints would all have added to the experience of truly understanding this fair. The photographs and artifacts are all clearly labeled with their corresponding CHM catalog numbers. The photographs are of good quality and it is easy to discern what each one is showing. The website is organized into five pages, with additional pages for the bibliography, photographs, artifacts, and a clickable map. It is very easy to navigate, with arrows at the bottom

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indicating to click in order to advance. The layout of the page seems a bit dated. Truthfully, it looks as though it was created in Microsoft Word, then copied and pasted with HTML formatting to fit. The copyright date is 1999, and after discovering that, it makes a bit more sense to me. However, I think that if CHM wants to keep this page on their website, they should

periodically update it. Perhaps they could include links to the original and subsequent revisions, as a comment on the progression of the Internet and design fundamentals through the years. Another change I might make to the exhibit is that it is housed under the History section of the website, which contains 8 other similar online exhibitions. None of the others are too much more interactive or involved than this one is; all are copyrighted 1999. I think this exhibit as well as the artifacts it houses fit very well with how the Chicago History Museums website describes the museum as caring for, showcasing, and interpreting millions of authentic pieces of Chicagos history (http://www.chicagohs.org/aboutus). Although the museum also has exhibits on general U.S. history, its main focus is on Chicagos past, present, and future, and so an exhibit on the 1933 Worlds Fair is definitely fitting for the institutions collections. The artifacts in the exhibit, while small in number, contribute to an overall sense of the theme of the exhibit. While I found the subject of this exhibit fascinating and I love the physical exhibits that CHM curates, I was a bit disappointed with this online exhibit. Perhaps a revision of the exhibit with todays technological advancements could bring it into the 21st century, but for now it is just an informative gathering of pictures with no life or interactive quality to it. The photographs and artifacts are all interesting, but a more thorough description of them, including the materials out of which they are made and perhaps from where they came would also contribute to a better experience.