The Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

Opening on 30 April 1904 with a dedication by President Theodore Roosevelt, the Saint Louis World's Fair lasted for seven months and was then the largest world's fair ever held. There were 187,798 attendees the first day. Officially the fair was named the Louisiana Purchase Exposition to commemorate the one-hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. The Olympics were also a part of the fair, and America dominated the medal race. More than twenty million visitors attended throughout the fair's run, and the fair showed a $25 million profit.

Industrial Showcase.

World's fairs were the primary venues for exhibiting and introducing new technologies and inventions to the public, celebrating the triumphs of the Industrial Revolution, big business, and a growing economy. The Saint Louis fair stands as a tribute to the Progressive Era and with its elaborate...