On this day, April 30, 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair opened in St. Louis.
Fri Apr 30, 2021: On this day, April 30, 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair opened in St. Louis.
Thu Apr 30, 2020: On this day, April 30, 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair opened in St. Louis.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Poster for the Exposition painted by Alphonse Mucha
The
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the
St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 million were used to finance the event. More than 60 countries and 43 of the 45 American states maintained exhibition spaces at the fair, which was attended by nearly 19.7 million people.
Historians generally emphasize the prominence of themes of race and empire, and the fair's long-lasting impact on intellectuals in the fields of history, art history, architecture and anthropology. From the point of view of the memory of the average person who attended the fair, it primarily promoted entertainment, consumer goods and popular culture.
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Influence on popular music
The fair inspired the song "
Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis", which was recorded by many artists, including
Billy Murray. Both the fair and the song are focal points of the 1944 feature film
Meet Me in St. Louis starring Judy Garland, which also inspired a Broadway musical version.
Scott Joplin wrote the rag "Cascades" in honor of the elaborate waterfalls in front of Festival Hall.
I hadn't known about the Scott Joplin connection.
How could I not link to this video? Hit it, Judy:
Meet me in St. Louis - Trailer
112,031 views Aug 30, 2013
YouTube Movies
110M subscribers
St. Louis 1903. The well-off Smith family has four beautiful daughters, including Esther and little Tootie. 17-year old Esther has fallen in love with the boy next door who has just moved in, John.
The Boy Next Door - Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
132,368 views Apr 3, 2012
trumpetboy1955
12.2K subscribers
An overlooked little gem!
The Trolley Song - "Meet Me in St. Louis" - Judy Garland
9,316 views Aug 19, 2016
Veronique Laurent
63K subscribers
I OWN NOTHING. BELONGS TO RESPECTFUL OWNERS.ONLY USED FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.
Incredible album:
The Cascades - A Rag
12,325 views Aug 7, 2015
Joshua Rifkin - Topic
618 subscribers
Provided to YouTube by Nonesuch
The Cascades - A Rag · Joshua Rifkin