|
| THE OBELISK - In the water-scheme of the
Exposition it was probably expected that there must be four
end-pieces, the Peristyle and the Administration Building, and the Art Palace and the Southern Colonnade, which is before us in
the engraving. The interposition of the Illinois Building veiled the classic Art
Palace, but the other features were pronounced. In front of the
"Peristyle" arch was French's Statue of The
Republic. In front of the Administration
Building was the MacMonnies'
Fountain. In front of the Southern Portal was the Obelisk and
Lion Fountain. In the days of propaganda when the World's Fair was a
set of lithographs, one of the pictures sent into the world was
called Machinery Hall, and gave a view of the same Obelisk and
Colonnade. It was supposed that the beauties of that scene were
drawn from the inexhaustible source of the human imagination, and
that the reality would make a sorry relative display, but recourse to
those lithographs as they hang in hotel corridors today, will
demonstrate the paucity of early advertisements of the Fair. They
were lame and impotent to show the wealth of ornament that at last
settled in their palatial alcove, where the sculpture of Martiny, French,
the Potters, Waagen and Kemeys abound, and even Corinthian
architecture was enriched with successful additions. The groups on
the Southern Portal were particularly beautiful. |
