Raber Antiques 9-9-2026
Lot 195:
Description
This is a large-format historical periodical titled World’s Columbian Exposition Illustrated, specifically designated as The Dedication Issue, dated September 1892 (Volume 2, Number 7). Published by J. B. Campbell in Chicago, this publication served as the recognized authentic organ for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The magazine is bound in original pink paper wrappers. The front cover displays a central wood-engraved portrait of Christopher Columbus flanked by the commemorative dates 1492 and 1892, surrounded by a decorative masthead featuring vignettes of fair buildings. The interior contains numerous high-quality wood engravings and early halftone illustrations. Significant visual content includes progress views of the Horticultural Building and the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building as they appeared on September 1, 1892. Textual features include the official program for the October dedicatory ceremonies, biographical sketches and portraits of commissioners such as Harvey P. Platt of Ohio, and multiple pages of facsimile endorsement letters from Exposition officials including Secretary Geo. R. Dickinson and Brother Maurelian of the Catholic Educational Exhibit. The issue is a rich source of late 19th-century Americana, containing extensive advertisements for Chicago theaters, patent medicines (e.g., Bald Heads, Hires Root Beer, Freckle Removal), and vocational schools such as The Eclectic Shorthand College. The back cover features a pictorial advertisement for the publication’s offices at 159-161 Adams Street in Chicago. 10×16
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