Washington World's Fair Commission records, 1890-1894
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Washington (State). World's Fair Commission (1893)
- Title
- Washington World's Fair Commission records
- Dates
- 1890-1894 (inclusive)18901894
- Quantity
- 11.28 cubic feet and 40 reels microfilm (20 boxes, 1 oversize box, 2 oversize ledgers, 20 negative reels of microfilm, and 20 positive reels of microfilm)
- Collection Number
- 4305 (Accession No. 4305-001)
- Summary
- Records of the commission appointed to determine the exhibits in the Washington State Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.
- Repository
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University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
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Public records, but advance notice is required to allow for screening of materials protected from disclosure by law. Please contact Special Collections for more information.
- Languages
- English
Historical Note
The Washington World's Fair Commission was a commission appointed to determine the exhibits in the Washington State Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. The Washington State Building housed representative resources from Washington State including minerals, timber, fruit, and various manufactured items. The Commission managed the selection of exhibit items and the exhibit construction.
Officers of the Washington World's Fair Commission include Edmond Meany who served as the Press Agent (1890-1892) and Assistant to the Executive Commissioner (1892-1894), Nelson Blalock who served as the President and Executive Commissioner (1892-1893), and George Calhoun who served as Executive Commissioner (1893-1894).
Content Description
The Washington World's Fair Commission Records (1890-1894) include correspondence; financial records; reports; legal documents; exhibition reports, inventories, and planning materials; meeting minutes; and visitor passes and registers regarding the planning, selection, and establishment of the Washington State Building located at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.
The microfilm reels include reproductions of the collection materials filmed by UW Special Collections staff in 1978.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
The collection materials are reproduced on microfilm. Materials were filmed by UW Special Collections staff in 1978.
Restrictions on Use
Public Records—not subject to copyright. Copying, quotation, publication and other uses are unrestricted if records are open for public release.
Administrative Information
Return to TopDetailed Description of the Collection
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Correspondence
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Description: Correspondence regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1890-1891Container: Box/Folder 1
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Description: Correspondence regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1891 September-1892 FebruaryContainer: Box/Folder 2
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Description: Correspondence regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1892 February-MayContainer: Box/Folder 3
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Description: Correspondence regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1892 June-AugustContainer: Box/Folder 4
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Description: Correspondence regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1892 September-DecemberContainer: Box/Folder 5
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Description: Correspondence regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1893 January-MarchContainer: Box/Folder 6
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Description: Correspondence regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1893 March-SeptemberContainer: Box/Folder 7
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Description: Correspondence and telegrams regarding the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1893-1894Container: Box/Folder 8
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Description: Edmond Meany's letterpress copybooks
Edmond Meany was the Press Agent for the Washington World's Fair Commission from 1890 to 1892 and the Assistant to the Executive Commissioner for the Washington World's Fair Commission from 1892 to 1894
Dates: 1890-1892Container: Box/Folder 9 -
Description: Edmond Meany's letterpress copybook and Nelson Blalock's letterpress copybook
Nelson Blalock was the President and Executive Commissioner of the Washington World's Fair Commission from 1892 to 1893
Dates: 1892-1894Container: Box/Folder 10 -
Description: Nelson Blalock's letterpress copybooksDates: 1892-1893Container: Box/Folder 11
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Description: George Calhoun's letterpress copybooks
George Calhoun was the Executive Commissioner for the Washington World's Fair Commission from 1893 to 1894
Dates: 1893-1894Container: Box/Folder 12
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Exhibit materials
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Description: Correspondence, exhibition reports, financial reports, receipts, lists of expense vouchers, and financial graphs and tablesDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 13
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Description: Notebooks
Notebooks include a list of Washington World's Fair Commission committee members and delegates; proceedings of the Washington World's Fair Commission Executive Committee; a memo book; a time book; a notebook about the layout of the Washington State Building at the World's Columbian Exposition including measurements and exhibit plans; agricultural product inventory; fisheries exhibit inventory; forestry exhibit inventory; fruit exhibit inventory; and mineral exhibit inventory including information about exhibit items from Kittitas and Stevens counties
Dates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 15 -
Description: Correspondence, ephemera, and inventories regarding exhibits; and report about awards given to Washington exhibits at the fairDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 16
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Description: Correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, and inventories regarding exhibits and planning for the Washington State BuildingDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 17
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Description: Manuscript appendices that include inventories of exhibit items and narrative descriptions of exhibits
Appendices are about the following exhibits: botany, horticulture, agriculture, forestry, mines and mining, and opinions of Washington
Dates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 19 -
Description: Bound inventory of fruit exhibit itemsDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 21
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Financial records
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Description: Financial ledger of the Washington World's Fair Commission's expenses compiled by Samuel Collyer, Treasurer of the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1893-1894Container: Box/Folder 12
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Description: Financial accounts and expense voucher ledgersDates: 1891-1893Container: Box/Folder 14
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Description: Bound book of Northern Pacific Railroad Company shipping receipts regarding shipments to and from the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, IllinoisDates: 1892Container: Box/Folder 20
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Description: "Record of Distribution of Approved Vouchers" ledgerDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 23
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Legal records
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Description: Charges, evidence, court brief, witness testimony, and minutes of the case brought against the Washington World's Fair Commission by Piece County, Washington about the financial affairs of the commissionDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 16
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Washington State Building visitor records
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Description: Visitor passes for photographers and workers and regular visitor pass applicationsDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 16
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Description: Washington State Building visitor applicationsDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 18
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Description: Washington State Building visitor registration cards and list of visitors to the Washington State Building compiled by the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 19
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Description: Visitor's registry ledger from the Washington State Building at the World's Columbian Exposition
The visitor's register was used again at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909 in Seattle, Washington.
Dates: 1894Container: Box/Folder 22
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Publicity
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Description: Newspaper advertisements and correspondence regarding advertisementsDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 16
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Description: Scrapbooks of newspaper articles about the Washington World's Fair Commission including the legal caseDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 20
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Description: Scrapbook of newspaper articles about the Washington World's Fair CommissionDates: 1890-1894Container: Box/Folder 21
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Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Agricultural exhibitions--Washington (State)--History--Sources
- Exhibitions--Illinois--Chicago--History--Sources
- Fisheries--Washington (State)--Exhibitions--History--Sources
- Forests and forestry--Washington (State)--Exhibitions--History--Sources
- Horticulture--Washington (State)--Exhibitions--History--Sources
- Mines and mineral resources--Washington (State)--Exhibitions--History--Sources
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
Corporate Names
- Washington (State). World's Fair Commission (1893)--Archives
- World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)
Geographical Names
- Washington (State)--Exhibitions--History--Sources
Other Creators
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Personal Names
- Blalock, Nelson Gales, 1836-1913 (creator)
- Calhoun, George V (creator)
- Meany, Edmond S. (Edmond Stephen), 1862-1935 (creator)
- Swan, James G., 1818-1900 (creator)
Corporate Names
- Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (1909 : Seattle, Wash.) (creator)
