Over this extended weekend, I took time to watch what ended-up being a really cool documentary:
Such a detailed look into the amazing 1904 event in St. Louis known by several names including the "World's Fair".
A few factoids that I learned:
- the 3rd Olympics were held at this World's Fair; the only women competitors were in archery
- the axel of the HUUUUUUGE ferris wheel disappeared after the Fair
- horse trainer Tom Bass was there:
Bass was born into slavery, but became one of the most popular horse trainers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Bass trained the influential Saddlebred stallion Rex McDonald, as well as horses owned by Buffalo Bill Cody, Theodore Roosevelt, and Will Rogers.
- a pygmy by the name of "Ota Benga" was also there; a bit of his story:
In 1904 American businessman and explorer Samuel Phillips Verner traveled to Africa under contract from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis World Fair) to bring back an assortment of pygmies to be part of an exhibition. Verner discovered Ota Benga while 'en route' to a Batwa village visited previously; he purchased Benga from the slave traders for a pound of salt and a bolt of cloth. Verner later claimed he had rescued Benga from cannibals.
I'm going to order in a couple books from the library to read-up a little more on this World's Fair. And, I need to get down to the St. Louis Art Museum some day, which is the only building still standing from the Fair.
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt