World’s FairsFound, not built?
Atlanta 1895Investigate

Investigate · Atlanta 1895

Atlanta, Ga. - Cotton States Exposition)- N.Y. State Bldg LCCN2003653902

Atlanta, Ga. - Cotton States Exposition)- N.Y. State Bldg LCCN2003653902
2 clues in this photo

1Masonry, not plaster

Rough-faced stone at the New York Building

The ground floor and the round tower base of the New York State Building are rough-faced stone, and a brick chimney rises from the roof.

The questionWhy put a heavy stone base under a building said to be temporary?

2Scale

A horse and wagon unloading crates

A horse and wagon unload crates on a plank boardwalk in front of the building. This is the transport technology of the fair.

The questionHow many wagon trips would it take to supply a whole fair this way?

Photo: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons

Atlanta 1895Case file

Same kind of clue, elsewhere

#10Scale · St. Louis 1904Twelve men and a tripod to plant one treeIf one tree took this much effort, what did the palaces take?Masonry, not plaster · London 1851Solid wall at the lower levelWhat is that masonry base, when was it laid, and did it carry an earlier structure?Scale · London 1851Carriages for scale along the north-east frontAt that scale, what did the hauling and erection really require from a horse-powered city?Masonry, not plaster · Philadelphia 1876Memorial Hall: stone at the openingMemorial Hall was always meant to stay, but what does that say about the 'temporary' halls standing beside it?Scale · Philadelphia 1876Crowds give the scaleHow many stone-setters and teams would a hall like this need on the timeline recorded?Scale · Paris 1889The Galerie des Machines at true scaleHow was a span that size raised for a single season?

All clues others missed →