First published 1994
At the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, photography emerges as a powerful new force reshaping how America sees itself. The fair becomes a battleground where established photographers like James Landy and Julius Caesar Strauss compete with rising talents such as Emma Farnsworth for prime exhibition space. The Eastman Company stages massive displays while British pictorialists and French innovators showcase color photography and criminal identification techniques. Behind the scenes, official organizers clash with manufacturers over licensing deals and equipment restrictions. Professional photographers fight amateur enthusiasts for access and commercial rights. The exposition's photography exhibits reveal deep tensions between art and commerce, tradition and innovation. As visitors stream through the fairgrounds, they witness not just technological progress but a medium in the midst of defining its own identity and power.
Genres: history, art, 20th-century, photography, 19th-century, art-history
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: artistic-rivalry, competition
Setting: Chicago, World's Columbian Exposition
Period: 1893
185 pages · Paperback · University of Arizona Press