Photos: We Hope The Set Of 'Devil In The White City' Looks As Good As The Real Thing
Agricultural Building at Night, from the North West. With spotlight or beacon of light shining across the lagoon Photograph by William Henry Jackson.
![Agricultural Building at Night, from the North West. With spotlight or beacon of light shining across the lagoon Photograph by William Henry Jackson.]()
Northwest corner of the Agricultural Building. Photograph by William Henry Jackson of "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Northwest corner of the Agricultural Building. Photograph by William Henry Jackson of "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
The world's first Ferris wheel plus a bird's eye view of the first Midway. Photo by William Henry Jackson from "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![The world's first Ferris wheel plus a bird's eye view of the first Midway. Photo by William Henry Jackson from "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Chicago Day! The Columbian Fountain was designed by Frederick MacMonnies. Crowd of people hanging out by a gazebo structure while the American flag flies. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Chicago Day! The Columbian Fountain was designed by Frederick MacMonnies. Crowd of people hanging out by a gazebo structure while the American flag flies. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
An aerial view of the Horticultural Building.<br>
![An aerial view of the Horticultural Building.<br>]()
The Mammoth Crystal Cave, which was a diorama reconstruction exhibit in the interior of Horticultural Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair by The Werner Company."<br>
![The Mammoth Crystal Cave, which was a diorama reconstruction exhibit in the interior of Horticultural Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair by The Werner Company."<br>]()
The crowd with the Palace of Fine Arts in the background. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![The crowd with the Palace of Fine Arts in the background. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Fire Boat shooting cannons of water in the air at the Agricultural Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Fire Boat shooting cannons of water in the air at the Agricultural Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
"Ruins of Yucatan" was located near Lake Michigan at 65th street and featured Mayan Mesoamerican sculptures made by Edward H. Thompson. The papier-mache casts include: Mask of Chac, God of Rain, Ruins of the Uxmal Nunnery West. The building frieze reliefs show the God Chac and various serpents and Arch at Labna at the entrance to the city. The mast of the replica of the Santa Maria is looming in far background. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
!["Ruins of Yucatan" was located near Lake Michigan at 65th street and featured Mayan Mesoamerican sculptures made by Edward H. Thompson. The papier-mache casts include: Mask of Chac, God of Rain, Ruins of the Uxmal Nunnery West. The building frieze reliefs show the God Chac and various serpents and Arch at Labna at the entrance to the city. The mast of the replica of the Santa Maria is looming in far background. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
Administration Building at Night, from the Electricity Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Administration Building at Night, from the Electricity Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Transportation Building created by architect Louis Sullivan along with the lagoon from Wooded Island. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![Transportation Building created by architect Louis Sullivan along with the lagoon from Wooded Island. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
Golden Door of Transportation Building created by architect Louis Sullivan. Photo by William Henry Jackson from "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Golden Door of Transportation Building created by architect Louis Sullivan. Photo by William Henry Jackson from "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Detail of the Transportation Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![Detail of the Transportation Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
The Fisheries Building, whose pavilion was designed by Mr. Henry Ives Cobb. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![The Fisheries Building, whose pavilion was designed by Mr. Henry Ives Cobb. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
The pavilion of the Fish and Fisheries exhibit was designed by Mr. Henry Ives Cobb. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![The pavilion of the Fish and Fisheries exhibit was designed by Mr. Henry Ives Cobb. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
Lagoon. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![Lagoon. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
The Electricity Building looking Southwest. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![The Electricity Building looking Southwest. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Looking south between the Electricity and Mining Buildings. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Looking south between the Electricity and Mining Buildings. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Looking north between the Mines and Electricity Buildings. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Looking north between the Mines and Electricity Buildings. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
The interior view of the Edison Electrical Tower. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair by The Werner Company."<br>
![The interior view of the Edison Electrical Tower. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair by The Werner Company."<br>]()
Peristyle of the Music Hall.<br>
![Peristyle of the Music Hall.<br>]()
Columbian Fountain by Frederick MacMonnies.<br>
![Columbian Fountain by Frederick MacMonnies.<br>]()
The Government Building and Wooded Island. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![The Government Building and Wooded Island. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Art Institute of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. From "Photographic World's Fair and Midway Plaisance."<br>
![Art Institute of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. From "Photographic World's Fair and Midway Plaisance."<br>]()
Café de la Marine: This is apparently where seafood was first introduced to the Midwest! Gothic spires on the fish and oyster house restaurant with people strolling nearby. Palace of Fine Arts building is in the far background.<br>
![Café de la Marine: This is apparently where seafood was first introduced to the Midwest! Gothic spires on the fish and oyster house restaurant with people strolling nearby. Palace of Fine Arts building is in the far background.<br>]()
Palace of Fine Arts, south facade with people on the stairs and lagoon.<br>
![Palace of Fine Arts, south facade with people on the stairs and lagoon.<br>]()
Interior of Terminal Station. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Interior of Terminal Station. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
The Administration Building's Statue of Christopher Columbus by Augustus St. Gaudens.<br>
![The Administration Building's Statue of Christopher Columbus by Augustus St. Gaudens.<br>]()
Manufactures Building, from Casino. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Manufactures Building, from Casino. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Interior of the Manufactures Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Interior of the Manufactures Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Panorama of State Buildings, from North East. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."
![Panorama of State Buildings, from North East. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."]()
State Buildings of Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![State Buildings of Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
Illinois State Building<br>
![Illinois State Building<br>]()
Minnesota State Building<br>
![Minnesota State Building<br>]()
![Brazil Building.<br>]()
![Sweden Building.<br>]()
![Japan building.<br>]()
Japanese Hoo-den, Interior on the wooded island. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![Japanese Hoo-den, Interior on the wooded island. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
Interior of Woman's Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>
![Interior of Woman's Building. Photo by William Henry Jackson in "The White City (As It Was)."<br>]()
The Women's Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![The Women's Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
The United States Government Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>
![The United States Government Building. From "Columbian Gallery: A Portfolio of Photographs of the World's Fair."<br>]()
Krupp Gun Exhibit Building.<br>
![Krupp Gun Exhibit Building.<br>]()
With all due respect to Martin Scorsese's directing talents and Leonardo DiCaprio's acting chops, the most exciting thing about their upcoming collaboration The Devil In The White City will probably be the set design. DiCaprio will star as a prolific serial killer who conducts his ghastly business against the backdrop of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
A lot was riding on the 1893 World's Fair, and the designers rose to the challenge. Earlier that decade, Chicago had just pulled ahead of Philly to become the country's official second city, and this was its big chance to show off how far Chicago had come as a city, especially since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The United States was eager to prove that they still had it after the French unveiled a pretty cool tower in 1889. Frederick Law Olmsted, the guy who designed Central Park (and Riverside's parks, my grandma liked to remind me), was in charge of designing the fair's White City along with architect Daniel Burnham.
They pulled it off. The fair was 600 acres and a fantastic creation. Its pièce de résistance was the White City, full of grand (though temporary) buildings in the neoclassical style. They were painted a soft white that seemed to glow in the sun by day and the spotlight by night. Both "Wizard of Oz" author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W. W. Denslow attended the fair (along with almost 26 million other visitors), and it is believed that the White City might have offered inspiration for The Emerald City.
What is clear is that the fair's layout, design and architecture had a lasting effect on the way we think about cities. The Columbian Exposition showed that cities could be orderly, beautiful, harmonious and even clean places, not just a place to cram together as many disease-stricken, overcrowded tenements as possible. Of course the fact that there was a serial killer doing his dirty deeds against this backdrop casts a shadow on the White City.
We've assembled some of the coolest photos from the event just to whet your appetite for the film, courtesy of The Field Museum. This set of photos includes the famed White City, along with representations from forty-six countries and all the states (and a highly questionable representation of native people to commemorate Columbus' "discovery"). It was a big deal for the city and on Chicago Day, you can see some of the 751,026 people who made it out to the event. Hopefully, the set design is even a fraction as cool as the real thing.
