Skip to Content
Today Open today 10–11 members | 11–5 public

World's Columbian Exposition Elevated Electric Railroad Tower, Chicago, Illinois, Elevation

A work made of graphite on tracing paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of graphite on tracing paper.

Date:

1892

Artist:

Peter J. Weber
American, born Germany, 1863-1923

About this artwork

Chicago hoped to surpass the 1889 Paris Exposition’s Eiffel Tower with an even more remarkable one. Many suggestions were put forth, one of which was the plan drawn up by architect Peter Weber in 1892 for the Partello Tower Company. His proposal, reminiscent of the tower of Pisa, would rise 400 feet high with an electric railway following a spiral course to the top affording excellent views of the city. A full chime of beautifully toned bells was to be placed in the top of the tower. In the end no tower was built. Instead, Chicago’s great engineering contribution to the World’s Columbian Exposition will always be remembered as George Ferris’s giant wheel.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Peter Joseph Weber (Architect)

Title

World's Columbian Exposition Elevated Electric Railroad Tower, Chicago, Illinois, Elevation

Place

Chicago (Building address)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1892

Medium

Graphite on tracing paper

Dimensions

53 × 41.3 cm (20 7/8 × 16 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Bertram A. Weber

Reference Number

1985.550.1

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/104408/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share