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The Art Institute nears completion as the Illinois Central Railroad continues to surround it with coal smoke. The photo was taken from the 17-story Auditorium Building, the tallest building at the time. |
The sale of the Art Institute’s former building had brought in $275,000. The World’s Fair Directory put in the sum of $200,000, and Charles L. Hutchinson, President of the Art Institute, had raised $55,000 through private subscriptions.

The World Congress Auxiliary of the World's Columbian Exposition occupied the new building from May 1 to October 31, 1893, after which the Art Institute took possession on November 1, 1893. The Art Institute was officially opened to the public on December 8, 1893.
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The World Congress Auxiliary opened its doors a few days after the opening of the World's Fair on May 13, 1893. |
Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.
Great photo from the top floor of the Auditorium Theater tower, which was only a handful of years old at the time. Good reminder, too, of the dirt, filth and grime continually caused by the IC on the Lakefront.
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