Exhibits at the Fair

There were many awe-inspiring exhibits one could visit at the Fair. Exhibits included a reproduction of Columbus's Santa Maria, located in the South Pond whre it was anchored. There were also exhibits such as a demonstration of gold mining in South Africa, electric calculating machines, and Thomas Edison's kinetoscope, a forerunner of the movie projector. Another interesting exhibit was the Midway Plaisance that offered visitors a glimpse of life and culture around the world. Richard Harding Davis, an American Journalist, called the Fair "the greatest event in the history of the country since the Civil War." Considering the Civil War was such a huge event, this was saying a great deal about the Columbian Exposition.