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1893 Zeese Bird's Eye View of the Chicago Expo 'Dream City'
ColumbianExposition-teese-1893$87.50
Title
Bird's Eye View of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893.
1893 (dated) 11.25 x 20 in (28.575 x 50.8 cm)
1893 (dated) 11.25 x 20 in (28.575 x 50.8 cm)
Description
A delicately executed, wood-engraved bird’s-eye view of Chicago, Illinois, published to promote and celebrate the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. It shows the Exposition’s buildings in the foreground in Jackson Park along the shore of Lake Michigan with the rest of the city in the distance. Sailboats and steamships move through the area. Features of the Exposition are labeled at the bottom of the view to aid the visitor in locating prime attractions, ranging from halls dedicated to advances in animal husbandry, mining, transportation and government. The 'electricity' exhibit was of particular importance, as the Chicago Exposition was the first fully electrified such fair in history. Another notable attraction was the Naval Exhibit, a warship moored at a pier at the far right of the view. While the Navy wished to showcase its new, steel-hulled warships at the exhibition, they were constrained from doing so. The Rush-Bagot Treaty forbade warships to operate on the Great Lakes, and prior to the 1900 opening of the Sanitary and Ship Canal, a battleship would be unable to leave the lake. Consequently, a full-scale replica of a modern battleship -dubbed the Illinois – was built to show off the Navy’s new technologies.
Cartographer
Alexander Zeese (1827 - January 10, 1898) was an German photo lithography, engraving, and electrotype founder based in Chicago, Illinois, around the turn of the century. Zeese was born in Bautzen, Germany where he was educated and apprenticed as a printer. He immigrated to the United States in 1853. Working at a printing office in New York City Zeese mastered the newly developed art of electrotype printing. He emigrated to Chicago in 1857 and, along with partners S.P Rounds and James J. Langdon, established the city's first electrotype foundry. A few years later, in 1861, Zeese began his own independent foundry under the operating name of Zeese and Rand. This continued until the Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed the entire operation. Even so, he persisted and was soon reestablished as one of the nation's most eminent electrotype printers. He retired in 1889, selling his business, which was subsequently renamed the Franklin Engraving and Electrotyping Company. After touring Europe for several years Zeese returned to Chicago where he founded a new firm by the name of A. Zeese and Sons, specialists in photo-engraving. The firm prospered by printing numerous documents for the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition. Zeese formally retired in 1897 leaving the firm in the capable hands of his son Albert Zeese. Unfortunately the elder Zeese had little time to enjoy his well-earned retirement. On January 10th of 1898 Zeese was returning by train to his home in Ravenwood (near Chicago) and tragically fell from the steps of the train onto the railway platform, some 12' below, where he struck his head, perishing almost instantly. A. Zeese and Sons had their offices at 300-306 Dearborn Street, Chicago. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Good condition. Backed with archival tissue, slight loss at junctures of folds.