09 May recently discovered images of adler and sullivan’s 1892-93 transportation building in the “dead white city”

the following images – scanned/digitized directly from original glass plate negatives – offer a surrealistic and striking glimpse of adler and sullivan’s transportation building taken by louis magnue melander, who extensively documented the life cycle of the 1893 chicago world’s fair or columbian exposition through stereoscopic photography.

the transportation building’s ornament  is in the early stages of declination from deferred maintenance, which is expected, given the impermanence of the materials used in its construction and the fair had “officially” closed weeks earlier, on october 30th, 1893. 

i’ve included newspaper clippings pertaining to the conclusion of the fair and what transpired shortly after (mostly pulled from november of 1894 periodicals).

additional images of the fair, including fires and demolition of buildings will be posted when time permits.

courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 archive and museum. all rights reserved. 2024.