World’s FairsFound, not built?
Philadelphia 1876Investigate

Investigate · Philadelphia 1876

Philadelphia Memorial Hall 20210715

Philadelphia Memorial Hall 20210715
1 clue in this photo

1Weathering

Dark streaks on the surviving cornice

Today's photo of Memorial Hall shows dark staining and green growth along the cornice and balustrade above the arched windows, under a green copper dome.

The questionHow long does weathering like this take, and does any of it predate 1876?

Photo: Foolish Productions Photography · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Philadelphia 1876Case file

Same kind of clue, elsewhere

Weathering · Chicago 1893Mature trees on a former swampHow do you get a mature woodland on a swamp in two years?Weathering · Chicago 1893An established lawn and potted palmsWas the ground freshly made, or already settled?Weathering · Nashville 1897A weathered grotto overgrown with vinesHow does a grotto look this overgrown at a fair that had just opened?Weathering · Omaha 1898Young, thin trees: a contrary detailIf the planting was new, was the ground new too, or was an older site cleared and replanted?Weathering · Buffalo 1901Mature trees around the survivorWas the park landscape older than the fair, and was the building too?Weathering · St. Louis 1904Full canopy along the Grand BasinHow many mature trees were moved, and from where?

All clues others missed →