St. Louis: The 1904 World's Fair (Images of America: Missouri)

As a St. Louisan the fair has an almost mythical place in our history. This book helps provide a vision of that time as well as the marks on the current St. Louis. The magic starts with the cover where a couple is atop a building above art hill overlooking the Palaces of Machinery and Transportation. Some of the images from the Pike, particularly at the entrance are great also (and thoughts of “hootchy-kootchy” dancers are in my head). The text highlights the magic, with notes about Will Rodgers working there, Teddy Roosevelt opening it, and Geronimo wandering the grounds at 75. In St. Louis the effects of the Fair are still there 100 years later, from the burying of River Des Peres, to the Art Museum (and what St. Louisian hasn’t sledded down art hill (first done in January 1905). There is also the famous 1904 bird cage (Which predated the zoo) and the statue of King Louis IX that was first at the fair entrance.

Unfortunately, the many fascinating pictures and stories have no reference context to help make sense of the whole 1904 World's Fair. My grandma told me stories when I was young about her father taking her and her sisters on the train from Indiana to St Louis for the World's Fair and I always wanted to learn more. Also, I myself lived in St Louis and worked on the campus of Washington University near Forest Park during the early 1980s. I heard stories then about the Fair but wished to learn more. On page 9 of the book there's an aerial perspective drawing of the Fair site but no actual map, no street names, nothing showing a geographical relationship to the rest of the city of St Louis or the relationship of the many buildings to each other. The many buildings and exhibits did not exist separate from the rest of the Fair. There was also a World Olympics going on. Without any map(s), the book is a jumble of many photos, and generally a waste of time for anyone wanting to envision the Fair as a whole and it's relationship to present day St Louis. A comprehensive list of buildings and exhibits, perhaps as an appendix, would also be helpful.

My grandson needed information about the 1904 World's fair for a project that he and a classmate were assigned. Of course, we were able to get information from other sources, but I thought a book would be helpful. This book was excellent. They were excited about all of the information that it contained. The illustrations were great. It turned them on to learn more than what the assignment was. It was exciting to see them looking through it and exclaiming over facts that were presented. An excellent choice.

Wow, just what I wanted! How exciting to see and hear about the history of this fair! I grew up not too far from Forest Park and went there so often, I think I knew every inch of it and enjoyed seeing some of the remaining parts of the 1904 World's Fair.

Gave this as a gift to family that was moving to St. Louis for work. Great pictures and history of the 1904 World's Fair there in St. Louis. Today it is a beautiful park, but most of the buildings are long gone. This book helps to recreate the grandeur that was once there.

good pictures, not much on detailed history.

I really liked the content of the book. The big problem is the book fell apart the first time it was looked at. The whole inside of the book came apart. Now I have good content but a book that is in pieces.

Great book

Loads of sepia=-tinted photos from way-back-when, very enjoyable/