The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 was a world's fair held in Chicago to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage, drawing some 27 million visitors over six months. Directed by architect Daniel Burnham, its core was the 'White City', a coordinated ensemble of monumental neoclassical buildings finished in white stucco, arranged around formal courts, lagoons and axial vistas on the lakefront. The unified architecture, electric lighting and orderly landscaping presented an idealised image of the harmonious, beautiful city. It was conceived and built largely as a temporary spectacle.
It launched the City Beautiful movement across America, inspiring grand civic centres, boulevards and monumental public buildings in many cities. The fair fixed an influential image of planned civic grandeur as an instrument of order and pride.