ATDTDA (1): Midway Plaisance - part 1

[Tim Strzechowski]

"Observers of the Fair had remarked how, as one moved up and down its Midway, the more European, civilized, and ... well, frankly, white exhibits located closer to the center of the 'White City' seemed to be, whereas the farther from that alabaster Metropolis one ventured, the more evident grew the signs of cultural darkness and savagery" (p. 22).


Midway Plaisance
An 80 acres strip of land connecting Washington Park with the main exhibition site at Jackson Park. The Midway was the first separate entertainment area deliberately made as a self-contained entertainment district. The popular, profitable Midway kept the fair solvent, as the admission revenues were not sufficient to offset the incredible expenses of building the fair. The Street in Cairo attraction gave the world the "Snake Charmer" tune (you know it... hum along with me: "There's a place in France,..... "). The Midway was so successful that it defined the entertainment district. To this day, entertainment areas at fairs are known as "Midways".
http://users.vnet.net/schulman/Columbian/columbian.html#MIDWAY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Plaisance
http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/events/31099,0,5598389.location?Midway%20Plaisance%20Park
[...] The White City was not originally planned to be quite so white. To speed up the painting process, it was decided to use one color of paint for most buildings. For the Court of Honor, it was specified by Francis D. Millet, Director of Decoration, that white would be the only suitable color. To keep the White City white, there was a ban instituted on coal as an energy source during the exposition. [...]
http://users.vnet.net/schulman/Columbian/columbian.html#WhiteCity
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