Landmark Lecture: the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893

In August of 1893, Britannia W. Kennon, the seventy-eight year-old owner of Tudor Place traveled by train from Washington to Chicago to experience the World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the White City because of the gleaming white facades of the fair’s neoclassical buildings. Accompanied by two of her grandchildren, Britannia spent a week at the fair exploring the exhibition buildings and even appearing as a guest of honor at the Virginia Building—an exact replica of Mount Vernon—since she was the only living great-grandchild of Martha Washington. Curator Grant Quertermous will discuss the family’s experiences during the trip as well as the significance of the Columbian Exposition to American history and culture. Surviving letters and postcards found in the Tudor Place archive record the details of the trip as well as each traveler’s reaction to what they experienced during this weeklong visit to the Exposition.  Ephemera and souvenirs from the family’s 1893 trip now in the Tudor Place collection will also be exhibited for this evening event.

Admission is free/pay what you can, with donations welcome. Doors open at 6 p.m., lecture begins at 6:30 p.m.