1893 WORLD\'S COLUMBIAN EXPO UNIQUE DOWNTOWN CHICAGO FAIR HOTEL ADVERTISING PAD
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1893 WORLD\'S COLUMBIAN EXPO UNIQUE DOWNTOWN CHICAGO FAIR HOTEL ADVERTISING PAD:
$69.90
THIS IS A UNIQUE AND VERY COMPELLING PIECE FROM THE WORLD\'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. WE DON\'T MAKE ANY APOLOGIES FOR THE FACT THAT WE LOVE ITEMS THAT ARE RELATED TO HUMAN BEINGS ENJOYING AND EXPERIENCING THE FAIR MORE THAN WE DO SIMPLE SOUVENIRS; THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON\'T LIKE SOUVENIRS, PER SE, BUT THIS IS A VERY RARE EXAMPLE OF EXACTLY WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF OUR FAVORITE FAIR.
THIS IS A NEW, UNUSED TABLET THAT PERHAPS CONTAINS 50± SHEETS OF BANK NOTE PAGES FOR THE HOTEL GUEST TO USE. IT WAS CERTAINLY UNUSUAL FOR 1892-1893 COMPARED TO WHAT YOU FIND ON A HOTEL DESK IN YOUR ROOM TODAY!
THE DOWNTOWN HOTEL WAS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY AND THE HOTEL DISTRICT WHERE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GUESTS STAYED WHEN THEY VISITED CHICAGO IN 1892 FOR THE DEDICATION AND VISITATION OF THE GROUNDS PRIOR TO THE FAIR\'S OPENING AND OF COURSE FOR THE SIX MONTHS OF 1893 WHEN THE WORLD\'S COLUMBIAN EXPO WAS IN ITS GLORY.
THAT A HOTEL, EVEN A CLASSY AND LARGER ONE, WOULD HAVE THESE NOTE PADS IN THE ROOMS OR AT THE FRONT DESK FOR THE USE OF THEIR GUESTS IS VERY UNUSUAL IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
THIS TABLET IS ALMOST 5 INCHES LONG AND AN INCH AND HALF TOP-TO-BOTTOM. EACH PAGE AS SHOWN HAS THE HOTEL NAME (HOW 21ST CENTURY THINKING!) ALONG WITH SEVERAL LINES FOR THE GUEST TO WRITE. AND AS WE KNOW, THOSE ATTENDING THE FAIR WERE QUITE PROLIFIC IN JOTTING DOWN NOTES ABOUT THEIR STAY, WHAT THEY SAW AND SO ON. OF THE MANY DIARY-LIKE DOCUMENTS WE HAVE SEEN AND STUDIED FROM THE FAIR, VIRTUALLY ALL WERE POCKET-SIZED BOUND PADS. WE WOULD GUESS THAT MANY OF THESE FOUND THEIR WAY INTO POCKETS OF GUESTS AT THE COMMERCIAL HOTEL. HOW GREAT WOULD IT BE TO FIND ONE OF THESE FILLED OUT WITH COMMENTARY ON A VISIT TO THE WCE?
THE COVERS HAVE A VINYL LOOK IN A VERY BRIGHT, NON-VICTORIAN GREEN COLOR WITH AN ARTIFICIAL LEATHER-LIKE SURFACE. THEY ARE, HOWEVER, I\'M QUITE SURE SIMPLY HEAVY TEXTURED PAPER.THE ONLY GREEN IS ON THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS; INSIDE THEY\'RE WHITE.
THE COMMERCIAL HOTEL, AS YOU CAN SEE, WAS SMART ABOUT ADVERTISING. THE COVER DID A GOOD JOB AND SO DID THE INSIDE PROMOTING ITS RESTAURANT. ALSO, IT IS QUITE ODD AND INTERESTING THAT THE ADVERTISEMENT ON THE BACK COVER IS ABOUT CURING ALCOHOLISM! ONE WOULD THINK THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF OTHER POTENTIAL BUSINESSES WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN PAYING A BIT TO HAVE THEIR MESSAGE THERE. OUR GUESS: SOME CONNECTION EXISTED BETWEEN THE OWNERSHIP OF THE HOTEL AND THE REHAB THAT WAS OFFERED--MAYBE A RELATIVE OR FRIEND WAS THE ONE WHOSE AD APPEARS ON THE BACK.
FINALLY AND WE APOLOGIZE IT\'S NOT SHOWN: THE INSIDE BACK COVER IS AN 1892 CALENDAR. ONE ALWAYS WANTS TO VERIFY AND BE COMFORTABLE THAT COMMERCIAL PAPER IS FROM THE CORRECT YEAR EVEN THOUGH WE CAN DETERMINE THAT THE HOTEL WAS IN EXISTENCE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE FAIR. I TRIED TO PHOTOGRAPH THE PAGE WITH THE CALENDAR BUT IT WOULD HAVE BENT THE BINDING SUCH THAT IT MAY HAVE SPLIT. WE HAVE SEEN SEVERAL POCKET CALENDARS/NOTEPADS USED TO RECORD PERSONAL AND BUSINESS EXPERIENCES AT THE FAIR WITH BOTH 1892 AND 1893 DATES. I WAS, FRANKLY, SURPRISED THAT MANY BUSINESSES PRODUCED HANDOUT NOTEBOOK CALENDARS IN THAT ERA, LESS SURPRISED THAT MANY WERE OF THE \"DAYTIMER\" VARIETY SOLD AND STANTIONERY STORES WITH NOT ADS, JUST BLANK PAGES AND THE CALENDAR.
THIS IS A SIMPLE, YET VERY EXCITING FIND FROM CHICAGO AND THE WORLD\'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. IT\'S IN PERFECT CONDITION AND IS A NICE MICROCOSMIC LOOK INTO THE LIFE OF THE FAIRGOER.WE\'RE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN DETAILS ABOUT HOTELS AND HAVE SOLD MANY DIFFERENT LETTERS, BROCHURES AND OTHER ITEMS FROM THE HOTELS THAT EXISTED BEFORE AND DURING THE FAIR (SUCH AS THE PALMER HOUSE AT THE TOP OF THE ELEGANT LIST) DOWN TO THE ROOMING HOUSES AND \"CAMPS\" THAT SPRUNG UP ALL OVER SOUTH CHICAGO TO HOUSE VISITORS.
FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY BANK, WE HAVE SPECIALIZED IN COLUMBIANA SINCE THE LATE 1970S. OUR NEXT BOOK ON THE GREATEST WORLD\'S FAIR (ABOUT THE MIDWAY) WILL BE OUT IN JUNE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PRESS AND OUR NEW WCE BLOG WILL DEBUT THIS SPRING AS WELL. WE HAVE SOLD COLUMBIANA FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN ON SINCE 1998.
WE\'RE ONLY SHIPPING WITHIN THE US NOW. BUT WE ALWAYS COMBINE SHIPPING TO SAVE YOU MONEY. THANK YOU.
1893 WORLD\'S COLUMBIAN EXPO UNIQUE DOWNTOWN CHICAGO FAIR HOTEL ADVERTISING PAD:
$69.90