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| THE MERCHANT TAILORS' BUILDING - The scene
before us sufficiently locates the position of the Merchant Tailors'
Building among the structures of the Fair. It stood at the
water-side under the shadow of the Illinois
Buiding, the eastern
transept of which rises in the rear at the left, and south of the
bridge which carried the winding road eastward past the foreign
buidings. A view of the south front of the Art
Palace is offered at
this point, and the gondola in the foreground is about midway between
the two bridges. Thirty-seven Merchant Tailors' Exchanges in the
principal cities of the United States united to contribute the sum of
$30,000, which was expended on this edifice. R. J. Walshe was
Chairman of the Committee of Construction. S. S. Beman was the
architect. Under the dome was a court, surrounded by columns such as
adorned the porticos. The floor was laid in mosaic, and the men's
room was on the side of the building at the left. On the other, or
north side, was the ladies' reception apartment. Mr. Oliver Dennet
Grover, a celebrated painter of Chicago, was entrusted with the duty
of making eight panels for the walls of the court, depicting the
evolution of human dress and adornment. A blanket made of five
thousand eight hundred and twenty pieces of broadcloth, and a
characteristic painting by Charles Durand were exhibited. Director
General Davis and Chief Allison dedicated the building as a part of
the Manufactures Department on May 21st, 1893. |
