Ferris Wheel Innovation In Erick Larson's The Devil In The White City

870 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: An explanatory essay on the impact of the 1893 World's Fair

The Ferris Wheel Innovation
It was Chicago 1893 and the World's Columbian Exposition was taking place. Many argued whether this huge event would be carried on in Chicago or somewhere else. It was the nineteenth century and at that time Chicago was considered the capital of entertainment, marketing, and industrialization. During the fair, first-time inventions arose and great contributions to humanity were introduced. In Erick Larson's The Devil in the White City, the author brings out much game-changing inventions and amenities that were present in the fair. One, in particular, was the Ferris Wheel; a denied project that in just months was considered to be what saved the world fair and attracted 26 million people. America needed a way to prove itself as a world leader in culture and, of course, this …show more content…

The creation of the Ferris Wheel was a legacy that was very successful and it is still used today in amusement parks and fairs. Many reproductions of the Ferris wheel were created to mimic the original one; however they do not come close to the World's Fair Ferris Wheel. Since the authentic one was created, many changes have been made due to the technological advances and knowledge of human beings. Prices, designs, and safety are the things that have been modified since 1893.
In today's Ferris wheels, their designs are bigger, faster and most importantly safer. The Orlando eye located in Orlando Florida is an amusement considered one of the most popular attractions in the city. It is a modernized Ferris wheel where tourists ride and look at the beautiful views from above. Ferris wheels can be found not only in the United States but in many countries. Its introduction at the Chicago's world's fair gave it the push to be the worldwide amusement and the lifelong legacy it is

Show More
Related

  • The Changes Brought from Chicago's World Fair in The Devil in the White City,” by Erik Larson

    567 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Chicago World's Fair of 1893 changed America in enormous ways. Probably the most prominent being that it directly changed America's and the world's perception of America and our capabilities. Not only was it the first in America, but the Chicago World's Fair propelled America...

    Read More

  • Analysis of Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    From first impression, Burnham found that Chicago had a murky factorial image lined with a “fantastic stink that lingered in the vicinity of Union Stock yards” (41). The dreadful surface that Chicago was maintaining allowed Burnham to be determined to collaborate and recreate its image. His efforts would also make a reputational comeback for America’s poor representation in the Exposition Universelle (15). One major feature that transformed public opinion of the state was to illuminate the entire fair with clean white buildings that outlined the goodness of the area (252). Eye-catching whiteness contradicted the presumed dirtiness of the town. Making a contradiction from what was assumed of the city would allow the fair to generate a much bigger transformation. The lights also gave the fair a unique, whimsical edge. “The lamps that laced every building and walkway produced the most elaborate demonstration of electric illumination ever attempted”, incorporating new technology in a grand-scale way merely to keep the theme of brightness ongoing throughout each day and night (254). Most importantly, it displayed the town’s potential to become a thriving and respected city. The theme of whiteness interlaced with the neoclassical outline in The World Fair’s de...

    Read More

  • Historical Insights in Devil in the White City

    1844 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...the people of the US a glimpse of alien cultures that many of them had never heard of, much less seen and learned about. In a way, the fair was a cultural awakening for most of the people of the United States. Suddenly, people from Missouri could tell their friends and families that they had seen Camels, or men from Japan. 27 million people went to see the fair, the vast majority of them Americans. That was a little less than half of the population of the country at this time. That many people seeing cultures and people that many had never heard of would have caused a dramatic effect, transforming the people of this country into a more cultured, worldly people.

    Read More

  • George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.: The Invention Of The Ferris Wheel

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ferris, his wife and the Mayor were the first ones to ride the wheel. People visiting the fairs were kind of scared to go but at the end everyone went on. The wheel was 264 feet above the MIdway and had a circumference of 825 feet. The wheel weighed 2.6 million pounds, the ale itself weighing more than forty-six tons. The wheel thirty-six closed cars which could hold more than forty passengers each time. The ride lasted twenty minutes and fifty cents at the time. Even people who couldn't afford to go on the ride watched it carefully as it went around. The Ferris Wheel was powered by two house 1,000-horsepower steam engines and it was light with more than 3000 light bulbs. The wheel was safe and it was center of attention at the fair that year. Until the fair lasted the wheel had more than a million passengers and it won the hearts of many people. This ferris wheel was the first example in technology that was “being harnessed purely as a pleasure machine, and it captured the imagination of a nation”(Adams-Volpe, 2002). During the Fair Ferris received a profit of approximately $750,000( approximately twenty million dollars today). Ferris got a lot of attention and fame for his design of the Ferris

    Read More

  • The Chicago World's Fair And The Gilded Age

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    The World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, was an event celebrating American invention and innovation on the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of America. The fair was open for six months and was visited by an estimated 27.5 million people. The Fair was a major influence on the spirt invention associated with the Gilded Age, but it was also influenced by the spirit of the time.

    Read More

  • World Fair Dbq

    1633 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1893 a world fair was held in Chicago Illinois to celebrate the 4thcentenniel of Columbus discovering the Americas. The exposition displayed grand buildings with beautiful architecture, hundreds of exhibits ranging from exotic tribes of Africa, to new inventions, expertly constructed landscape, and astounding attractions such as the first Ferris wheel. The fair lasted for six months and had over 27 million visitors, including ¼ of the American population.

    Read More

  • The Chicago World Fair: A Historical Impact Of The Chicago World Fair

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    The “White City” was a vast collection of architecture and arts that were put on display in the year 1893. The Chicago World Fair, also called the “White City”, was a major event in American history that impacted America’s culture, economic, and industry. The Chicago World Fair was held to honor Columbus’ discovery of the New World. The real reason why it was made was to proudly have back their wealth and power. Larson said, “the tower not only assured the eternal fame of its designer, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel but also offered graphic proof that France had edged out the United States for dominance in the realm of iron and steel…”(15). To accomplish this, architects led by Daniel Burnham and John Root made numerous buildings and beautiful scenery

    Read More

  • Chicago World's Fair Thesis

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    This passage occurred after both the resolution of the Chicago World's Fair on October 30th, 1893 and the beginning of the economic depression that engulfed Chicago’s businesses. Larson's purpose in this passage is to develop the connection that the Ferris Wheel and its inventor shared. Larson explains that the Ferris Wheel, the hallmark of the Chicago World’s Fair, remained in place until, “the spring of 1894”- only a year after the end of the Fair itself- and was moved elsewhere because it, “began losing money.” The amount of money spent transporting the wheel in combination with the steady decline of his steel-inspection company, Ferris, the inventor, had no choice, “but to sell most of the ownership of his wheel,” states Larson. Shortly thereafter, in 1896, Ferris and his wife separated, and two months after their separation he died at age thirty-seven of typhoid fever.

    Read More

  • Erie Canal: Catalyst of America's Economic Dominance

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    The adventurous but interesting story of how the United States of America became a global power in the world economy can be traced to the ingenuity of a small group of men, who defied all odds to construct a link between the Atlantic Ocean and the great Lakes - the “Erie Canal”, constructed in the eighteenth century America, was a 363 miles artificial waterway that connected the eastern seaboard with New York through Albany. In the book “the Wedding of the Waters” Peter Bernstein clinically depicts the story of how the Erie Canal shaped the economy of America, strengthened the Industrial Revolution, and actuated globalization. Not only was the project a large scale engineering that was completely man-made, it was also unique in that there was

    Read More

  • Sociological Aspects of "The Devil in the White City"

    1607 Words  | 4 Pages

    One half of the story was of a man named Daniel Burnham, who was a famous architect of his time. It’s in this half of the story that can you see the good part of the city. Pride can be seen mainly throughout his story. His life in these pages was based on the construction of the World Columbian Exposition which was a fair held in Chicago in 1893. This magnificent fair was in honor of one of America’s most well known discoverers, Christopher C. Columbus. This was the 400th anniversary of his discovery of the new world. Through Burnham’s pride and his determination, he was able to complete the fair in almost a year. However, it was not truly ready for opening day due to a few construction issues, such as the world’s f...

    Read More

  • The Themes Of Universal Studios Orlando: Orlando

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    Universal Studios Orlando, some say that it is the best amusement park in the world with some of the best rides in the world. It has some great restaurants where you can go to eat after a very long day at the park and relax. It has has more amazing things too that you will read about in this review.

    Read More

  • Coney Island at the Turn of the Century

    1698 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the late nineteenth century, America was undergoing a cultural change in society. An island with Amusement Parks and vast beaches was underway in development to change the face of America in ways no one could have imagined at the time. The island was referred to as Coney Island. Coney Island Amusement Parks was built in a span of 30 years that would provide the American people a place to relax and enjoy time together with their friends and family. As a whole, Coney Island at the turn of the century, offered the ways of the future in distinctive ways; through technological advances of the era. Around 1900, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company created steam railways that connected Manhattan and Brooklyn, thus making Coney Island much more accessible to people living the city (Source 2). Coney Island was a symbol of America in the early twentieth century, where all of America’s values and traditions were defined and brought into one place. In a sense, Coney Island took Americans from the Victorian age, to a more modern and futuristic sense of what America could potentially become. Changing economic and social conditions helped to create the basis of new mass culture that was carried on into the new century (Source 1)

    Read More

  • Theme Parks In Florida

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    Florida is home to the world's most famous park - Disneyworld. This magical world of Mickey located in Orlando continues to attract the most visitors than any other amusement park in the country. Inside you can amuse yourself and the family with 4 theme parks which consist of Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom. A treat to these parks is the ultimate answer to every child's dream.

    Read More

  • Informative Essay On County Fair

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Mississippi Valley Fair not only has the Ferris wheel, but they also have some popular fair rides that create an atmosphere full of thrill. For example, the tilt-a-whirl and sling-shot are two popular fair attractions. These rides attract kids, which then attract their parents and ends up drawing in many families to the fairgrounds. The roller-coasters and fair rides are a great way to persuade people to come to the fair. Even just hearing the word roller-coaster, I can already feel my heart beat faster in anticipation for the huge adrenaline rush I get from the rides. The feeling of your stomach dropping and the wind blowing through your hair are two great feelings that I enjoy and I’m sure others do as well. These attractions appeal to people because of the thrill and excitement they

    Read More

  • Free Descriptive Essays - Carnival Rides

    443 Words  | 1 Pages

    I have always been fascinated by carnival rides. It amazes me that average, ordinary people eagerly trade in the serenity of the ground for the chance to be tossed through the air like vegetables in a food processor. It amazes me that at some time in history someone thought that people would enjoy this, and that person invented what must have been the first of these terrifying machines. For me, it is precisely the thrill and excitement of having survived the ride that keeps me coming back for more.

    Read More

More about Ferris Wheel Innovation In Erick Larson's The Devil In The White City

Open Document