Preview
Identifier
2005002r_N-042-01_Worlds_Fair_1904
Creation Date
1904
Subject—Topics
Fairs; Gregory, Carl Louis; Boer War Exhibit
Date Range
1904
Description
Boer War Exhibit, St. Louis World’s Fair, 1904. The Fair opened April 30, 1904, and closed December 1, 1904. Boer War Exhibit, St. Louis World’s Fair, 1904. Frank Fillis produced what was supposedly "the greatest and most realistic military spectacle known in the history of the world". Different portions of the concession featured a British Army encampment, several South African native villages (including Zulu, Bushmen, Swazi, and Ndebele) and a 15-acre (61,000 m2) arena in which soldiers paraded, sporting events and horse races were held and major battles from the Second Boer War were re-enacted twice a day. Battle recreations took 2–3 hours and included several Generals and 600 veteran soldiers from both sides of the war. At the conclusion of the show, the Boer General Christiaan de Wet would escape on horseback by leaping from a height of 35 feet (11 m) into a pool of water.
Format
BW film negative; 3" x 3"
Source
Jonathan Silent Film Collection
Number
N-042-01