the Gilbert M. and Martha H. Hitchcock Foundation.
With support from:
First National Bank of Omaha
Inacom Corporation
Trans-Mississippi Exposition Centennial Celebration
And additional support from:
Alan and Marcia Baer Family Charitable Trust
Adah and Leon Millard Foundation
Cooper Foundation
Werner Enterprises
The Architectural Foundation of Nebraska and AIA College of Fellows
Price: $29.95
(Prices do not reflect tax, shipping and handling.)
A century ago, The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of 1898 drew 2.6 million people to Omaha, Nebraska, over a five-month period. This spectacular "world's fair" comes to life in "Westward The Empire: Omaha's World Fair of 1898," a one hour documentary produced by UNO Television for broadcast on the Nebraska ETV Network. This is the first television documentary to be produced on this major historical event.
While history has called this time the "Gay Nineties," the country and particularly the West suffered from economic depression and drought. The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition put the plains and the nation on display. Located in the area of what is now Kountze Park, the Exposition's Venetian styled lagoon and Classical and Renaissance style buildings featured artwork, new inventions, and agricultural and manufacturing exhibits, heralding the many accomplishments of the states west of the Mississippi River.
This documentary showcases the culture, values and economy at the turn of the century, while examining one incredible construction project and its moment in history. The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition became one of the most important events ever held in the region.