I Love Chicago! - The Republic-for which we stand Traditional Geocache

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Reviewer Smith: I Love Chicago!
As this cache was not reactivated within the 30-day window noted within the reviewer/disable note, the listing will now be archived.

Reviewer Smith

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Hidden : 5/9/2006
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Wow! Big and Beautiful! ... and she is a 1/3 scale reproduction. Be sure to check out the 3D view I have created. You are looking for a small red metal box.





Daniel Chester French - The Republic

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The 19th and early 20th centuries saw an explosion of "world's fairs" and expositions, designed to bring the world closer to people and to be showcases for the latest technologies. These monumental events were temporary installations, designed to last from several months to a year or two, after which time all or most of the buildings and statuary constructed for the fair were destroyed and the landscape restored to the original or a new state.

The Columbian Exposition of 1893, also known as the "World's Fair of 1893" took place in Chicago, Illinois from May 1, 1893 - October 31, 1893. The fair celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' landing in North America. 20 countries and 39 States were represented by pavilions. Large pavilions were devoted to various technologies including electricity, mines, machinery, agriculture, manufacturing and transportation. An art gallery (one of only two buildings that remains today, as the Museum of Science and Industry) and various forms of entertainment including a huge ferris wheel were also part of the Exposition. Central to the design of the grounds were several ponds and lagoons connected to Lake Michigan and the most stunning achievement of the Exposition, the "Court of Honor" and basin that included dramatic fountains and sculptures.

Imagine the original... A 65 foot high statue in plaster (covered in gold leaf with lights in the crown) by Daniel Chester French titled "The Republic." French's statue was the single most imposing construction at the Exposition, dwarfing all other sculptures and having pride of place at the eastern end of the basin, facing the Exposition's Administration Building.

After the closing of the Exposition, "The Republic", like most buildings and sculptures, was destroyed (some buildings were immediately removed, others fell into disrepair and still others, like "The Republic" succumbed to fire in 1896). In 1918, French was commissioned to make a smaller model of "The Republic" which was installed on the site of the Exposition's Administration Building during the 25th anniversary of the Exposition. The 24 foot high gilded bronze statue stands on a base made by Henry Bacon who would later collaborate with French as the architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.

Today the site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition is occupied by Jackson Park on Chicago's south side. As mentioned above, the Exposition's Palace of Fine Arts remains today as Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Baseball and Soccer fields stand where the Court of Honor and basin were located and a golf course is adjacent to the site of the Administration Building. French's statue of "The Republic", while only one-third the size of his original installation, stands imposingly at the intersection of Hayes and Richards Drives in Jackson Park. It was restored in 1992 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

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Henry Bacon's base is inscribed on both the front and the back. The front reads:

THE REPUBLIC To commemorate the World's Columbian Exposition MDCCCXCIII

The back of the base contains a more detailed inscription:

The World's Columbian Exposition authorized by Act of Congress and generously participated in by the nations of the earth was held here in 1893 to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America. On this site stood the Administration building.

At the front of the grassy area where "The Republic" stands, a newer plaque is set into the grass that tells more about the statue:

THE REPUBLIC - JACKSON PARK Gilded bronze sculpture by Daniel Chester French Base by Henry Bacon Originally dedicated 1918 To Commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition This permanent reproduction by the artist marks The site of the World's Fair Administration Building Restored 1992 Chicago Park District B.F. Ferguson Fund, Art Institute of Chicago Rededicated by Mayor Richard M. Daley To initiate a Celebration Of the 100th Anniversary of the Chicago World's Fair

For more info visit Hyde Park.Org

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ybj, oruvaq fgbar

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
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N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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