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Rare Spanish Edition of Currier & Ives Iconic View of Chicago's Great Columbian Exposition

This is a rare Spanish-language edition of the famous Currier & Ives bird's-eye view of the Chicago Columbian Exposition, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing in the Americas. Published in 1892, the lithograph offers a vibrant, detailed perspective of the sprawling grounds of the World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair.

The English version was titled Grand Bird's-Eye View of the Grounds and Buildings of the Great Columbian Exposition at Chicago, Illinois, 1892-3. In addition to this large broadside view, the image was also adapted for use in promotional postcards for the event.

The view portrays the meticulously planned exposition grounds set around a grand system of canals and lagoons leading into Lake Michigan. The richly colored and highly detailed scene includes major exhibition halls such as the Administration Building, the Agriculture Building, the Machinery Hall, the Transportation Building, and the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building—the centerpiece of the fairgrounds. Important auxiliary structures like the Fisheries Building, the Women's Building, the Horticulture Building, and the Fine Arts Gallery are also identified in the keyed legend at the bottom of the print.

Sailing ships, steamboats, and gondolas animate the waterways, while countless fairgoers fill the promenades, bridges, and plazas. The design emphasizes both the scale and the neoclassical grandeur of the fair, a style popularly referred to as the "White City." Notably, the Spanish edition captures the same visual and typographic elements as the original Currier & Ives printing, but all labels, including the extensive captions, are rendered in Spanish to reach a broader, international audience, particularly in Latin America.

The Gran Vista de Pájaro reflects global significance of the fair and its explicit dedication to honoring Columbus’s voyages—a theme that resonated strongly across Spanish-speaking nations. It remains a striking historical artifact of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, documenting both the artistic ambitions and international outreach of the exposition.

Rarity

The view is very rare on the market, especially this Spanish language edition.

We were unable to locate any example of the Spanish edition, but believe that an example is in the uncatalogued collection of the Library of Congress.

RBH lists 1 auction record of the English edition (Hindman, 2014 - $6,000, described as having "Foxing and water condition issues.").