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Although I never get tired of facing off with Sue, the 67 million old, 42 foot long, and 13 feet high, Tyrannosaurus rex, we went back to the Field Museum to see its special exhibit called “Opening the Vaults: Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair”. This exhibit is special because The Field Museum was primarily an outgrowth of The Columbian Exposition. Many of the artifacts and specimens on display have not been seen since the World’s Fair in 1893.
Walking through the exhibit gives you the feeling of wonder and amazement our ancestors must have felt when they saw for the first time the natural wonders of the world and art and artifacts from all the world cultures. The exhibit has rare photographs and film of the immense World’s Fair site. It gives you a visual picture of the many buildings and the exhibits within. It also gives you an appreciation of the architects and other minds behind this colossal undertaking.
An excellent part of the exhibit is its discussion of how the prejudices of the day played a significant role of how many of the artifacts were displayed. The art and artifacts from the “Primitive Cultures” were not included with the fine art from the Western Cultures. In every case their art and craft was as intricate and exquisite as all the other cultures of the world.
Some of the strange and weird things we saw included a full size model of a giant squid, an odd double coconut, a meteorite that was so feared it was kept in a dungeon, and a Peruvian Mummy with a child inside. We learned that the Ferris Wheel and Juicy Fruit Gum were among the many things introduced for the first time at the Fair. One experience we could not schedule but looked very interesting was a bus tour of the original site of the World’s Fair and the area surrounding it.
We also checked out one of our favorite treasure holes-The Gem Room. Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, Exotic Jade, and much, much more fill the space with sparkle. It is something you never get tired of looking at.
The museum is open every day except Christmas. It cost us a total of $20. for admission to the museum and the special exhibit. We parked across the street in the lot for Soldier Field. It also cost $20.
May 15, 2023
