St. Louis Public Library—The 1904 World’s Fair Exhibit

“Open ye gates. Swing wide, ye portals.” Thus began the 1904 World’s Fair, where millions were treated to a glimpse of the future, and introduced to different peoples and cultures from around the world. The St. Louis Public Library’s collection contains more than 1,200 photographs, stereographs, postcards and lantern slides.

We were asked to design an online exhibit that would provide greater public access to this wealth of artifacts. To encourage visitors to take a leisurely “stroll” through the exhibit, we decided on a non-traditional site navigation. The library then developed a database of interrelated subject areas and images, and we created an interface which allows visitors to easily discover the depth of the treasures and their connections to one another.

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