The book is Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Maybe you've read it, maybe you haven't. It takes place in Chicago in the late 1800's during the time of the World's Columbian Exposition (or World's Fair 1893), the first in America. I'm about halfway through and I'm pretty sure, it's the best non-fiction piece of literature I've ever read. It's not often I come across a book that I can't put down, but this is one. The more I read, the more fascinated I am with the city I live in and constantly find myself asking "how did I not know this?!"
The book is basically about two different people: Daniel Burnham of Burham and Root, the main architect of the fair and "Dr." Henry Howard Holmes, the American "Jack the Ripper" - who murdered ten times as many people, young and old. The connection is that he opened a "hotel" or what some referred to as a castle (due to the fact that it took up an entire block), during the time of the world's fair and used it to lure many fair-goers to their deaths. The discoveries inside were grizzly.
The fair itself, was to compete with the world's exposition in Paris that had just recently ended, where the Eiffel tower was introduced. To "out eiffel Eiffel" at the world's fair in Chicago, the world's first Ferris Wheel was built in gigantic measurements, holding more than 2,000 people. No one had ever seen anything like it. And that is just one of many "firsts."
The details are beyond intruiging. Not only is it one of my favorite time periods, but I've never been more interested to read about architecture in my life and let's face it - murder is usually always an interesting read.
I have a strange fascination with living around history. Yeah, yeah, it's everywhere. But usually we walk right by it and pay no attention or just have no idea. It amazes me to stand in a place where something amazing happened. Or walking where someone amazing walked, or died. A little creepy? Maybe a little. For instance, the Biograph Theater where John Dillinger was shot and killed is just a hop, skip, and jump away from my house. I'm sorry, that's cool.
I have sculpted a new photo project (among a few) I soon want to begin working on. I have a list of places inside and outside of this city and state (some around CHI come from this book), I want to stand -most from this story are on the Southside, yikes! Because of the times, the south part of town was extremely wealthy and rich with prominence and history. Jackson Park (where the fair was located) still possesses one of two remaining buildings from the fair of 1893, now the museum of science and industry. The other is on Michigan Avenue. The Rookery still stands downtown on the corner of LaSalle and Adams, which was Burnham and Root's office building and is also the oldest standing "high-rise" in Chicago...weee! Not to mention, I have a new found interest in the railways of Chicago and their history.
...The list s'rsly goes on and on.
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