Research Guides: History Resources: 1904 World's Fair and Olympics: 1904 World's Fair and Olympics

WUSTL at the 1904 World's Fair and Olympics

The first buildings on the Danforth Campus were used for the 1904 World’s Fair (officially titled the "Louisiana Purchase Exposition").

Alphabetical list of campus buildings used during the fair, with their first academic use in parentheses:

Busch Hall: Department of Works for the Fair and was used for architects and engineers (Chemistry)
University Hall [renamed Brookings Hall 1928]: Administrative Building for the Fair and held staff offices (Chancellor's office and WashU administration)
Cupples I: Anthropology Building for the Fair and held ethnological exhibits (Engineering and Architecture)
Cupples II: Jefferson Guard Building for the Fair and held the Jefferson Guards, the Fair’s private police force (Mechanical and Electrical Engineering)
Liggett Dormitory [renamed Prince Hall]: dormitory used for Fair guests
Ridgley Library [now Holmes Lounge]: Hall of International Congresses during the Fair; the library's reading room was the focal point for social events, such as a gala ball given by West Point cadets; its second floor was a glittering display of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee gifts
Tower Hall [renamed Lee Hall, and Umrath Hall]: used as dormitory for out-of-town students and teachers (dormitory)
Eads Hall: Board of Lady Managers’ Building - headquarters for women’s organizations(Physics)

The 1904 Olympics, the first held in North America, were conducted at the same time as the fair.

Francis Gymnasium and Francis Field were used for various events at the 1904 Olympics (Francis Field remains the University's track, the Gymnasium was replaced with a modern Athletic Complex)

Washington University in St. Louis : its design and architecture by Buford Pickens, Margaretta J. Darnall.
Call Number: LD5793 .P43
Includes "Serendipity at the Fair: Washington University and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904" by Pickens (starting on page 51) and map showing original buildings of WU campus at the fair

Relevant archive collections at WashU Special Collections include:

1904 World's Fair Collection (finding aid)
Small collection of materials about the fair and its history, located at Special Collections (Olin Library).
Taylor Papers (Finding Aid)
Reports and other typed documents regarding building and grounds during the 1904 Fair. Located at Special Collections (Olin Library).
Stratford Lee Morton Papers (Finding Aid)
A portion of this collection includes history of the 1904 Fair, and an attempt to organize a 1953-1954 Fair. Located at Special Collections (Olin Library).
Charles Henry Dixon Papers (Finding Aid)
An alumni of the Manual Training School (formerly run by WUSTL) includes 1904 Fair memorabilia. Located at Special Collections (Olin Library).
Authur Proetz Papers (Finding Aid)
Proetz worked at the 1904 Fair as a high school students. His papers include many recollections about St. Louis history, including his time at the fair. Located at Special Collections (Olin Library).
1904 Olympics Collection (Finding Aid)
Small collection of materials held at Special Collections (Olin Library).

Digital Photographs of the Fair & Olympics

Library of Congress - Olympics
1904 Olympics Images (via IOC)
Louisiana Purchase Exposition Glass Plates
From the collections of the St. Louis Public Library (SLPL) - collection consists of over 7500 images of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis. Many of the images feature the construction of the Fair.
Early St. Louis Glass Plate Photographs
From St. Louis Mercantile Library collection. Circa 1900 images of Forest Park, WashU campus, and construction of World's Fair buildings.
Chicago Daily News Photographs of 1904 Olympics
Search for Subject : Olympic Games (3rd : 1904 : Saint Louis, Mo.)
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online images; originals held by Chicago History Museum.
1904 Fair Photographs and Objects
Digital materials from the Missouri Historical Society - Library and Archive.
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Subject: Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 : Saint Louis, Mo.)

Online Full Text Sources

Most titles are available through Google Books; some require a WUSTL key log-on.

Best Bets

World's Fairs: a Global History of Expositions
Explore the phenomenon of world's fairs from London's Crystal Palace in 1851 to North American exhibitions and twenty-first century expos. Through official records, monographs, publicity, artwork, artifacts and other primary sources, this resource provides access to digitized materials from multiple archives. Includes extensive documents about the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition / St. Louis World Fair. See Fair Directory for full list of 200+ events included, from 1821 - 2017.

e-books "Book of the Fair Reel 149"
contains 23 digitized texts published 1903-1906 related to the fair (requires WU log-in when off campus)
e-books "Book of the Fair Reel 152"
contains 26 digitized texts published 1903-1906 related to the fair (requires WU log-in when off campus)

Anthropology / Indigenous Peoples

Online Exhibits

Class, Race, & Sheet Music at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
St. Louis Public Library: Celebrating the Louisiana Purchase Online Exhibit
St. Louis World’s Fair (The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904)
Source: Library of Congress' Chronicling of America newspaper project. Links to full text articles.

Books about WUSTL & the Fair

Available at WashU Special Collections:

Washington University in St. Louis : its design and architecture by Buford Pickens, Margaretta J. Darnall.
Call Number: LD5793 .P43
Includes "Serendipity at the Fair: Washington University and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904" by Pickens (starting on page 51) and map showing original buildings of WU campus at the fair
An appeal by Professor S. Waterhouse, of Washington University, to the people of his native state, in behalf of St. Louis as the site of the World's Fair, in 1892
Call Number: T860 B1 W3
Access this document at the Special Collections reading room, main floor of Olin Library
St. Louis Car Co. at the Universal exposition, St. Louis, U.S.A., 1904.
Call Number: Archives Reference

Can be borrowed from WashU Library

Anthropology goes to the fair : the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition by Nancy J. Parezo & Don D. Fowler.
Call Number: E76.85 .P37 2007
All the world's a fair : visions of empire at American international expositions, 1876-1916 by Robert W. Rydell
Call Number: T395.5 U6 R93 1984
Publication Date: 1984
Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1984
From the palaces to the pike : visions of the 1904 World's Fair by Timothy J. Fox and Duane R. Sneddeker.
Call Number: T860.B1 F69 1997
Lion of the Valley by James N. Primm
Call Number: F474.S257 P75 1998
Publication Date: 1998-12-01
The go-to book for St. Louis history -- if you have trouble getting a library copy check GoogleBooks
http://books.google.com/books
Standing on a volcano : the life and times of David Rowland Francis by Harper Barnes
Call Number: F474.S253 F733 2001 (Olin 3 & Archives)
ISBN: 1883982170
"When he ran the St. Louis World's Fair on 1904, he was said to be the most photographed man in America...."
"Indescribably grand" : diaries and letters from the 1904 World's Fair by Martha R. Clevenger.
Call Number: T860.B1 I53 1996
ISBN: 188398209X
The World's Fair : comprising the official photographic views of the universal exposition held in Saint Louis, 1904 by photographs by the Official Photographic Co., William H. Rau, managing director.
Call Number: T860.C1 S33 1904 fol.
The book of the Fair, by Marshall Everett [pseud.] ... the greatest exposition the world has ever seen. Photographed and explained. A panorama of the St. Louis exposition
Call Number: T860 L1 N4 (Olin Library Stacks)

Books about the 1904 Olympics

Preliminary programme of physical culture, Olympic Games and world's championship contests
Full text via Google
The Olympic games at Athens, 1906 by Volume 23, Issue 273 of Spalding's athletic library
Call Number: Full Text via Google
Includes detailed review of the 1904 games
America's First Olympics by George R. Matthews
Call Number: FULL TEXT ONLINE
ISBN: 0826264751
The 1904 anthropology days and Olympic games : sport, race, and American imperialism - edited by Susan Brownell.
Call Number: GV706.2 .A17 2008 (Olin Stacks)
ISBN: 0803210981
The Olympic Games, 1904 / by Charles J.P. Lucas
Call Number: GV722 1904 L9
Publication Date: 1905

Collections at other archives, libraries, and museums

Please contact each library directly for more information

St. Louis Public Library - Special Collections and Archives

Contact: specialcollections@slpl.org

Online Exhibit: Celebrating the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
SLPL Archive Finding Aids: World's Fair
Many relevant collections including:
* 1904 St. Louis Auto Tour
* Jessie Tarbox Beals Photographs: Louisiana Purchase Exposition
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Collection
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Lantern Slides
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Maps
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Official Photographer Photos
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Photo Albums
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Postcard Collection
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Posters
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition Sheet Music Collection
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition: Truman Ward Ingersoll Stereograph Cards
* World’s Fairs and International Expositions

Richardson Library and Archives - St. Louis Art Museum

Contact: library@slam.org

How to Access SLAM Museum Archives
Louisiana Purchase Exposition [Records], 1901-1909, 1902-1905.
Finding aid and name index for materials related to the Palace of Fine Arts and other art exhibited at at the Fair.

Library and Research Center - Missouri Historical Society

Contact: archives@mohistory.org or library@mohistory.org

History Resources: 1904 World's Fair and Olympics