Reporting Live: Articles and Letters from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair

In late April 1904, newspaper editors started sending reporters to St. Louis to report on the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. A few weeks later, editors were invited for Press Day. Some of those who attended carefully wrote down their observations. In addition, they usually included their impressions about the great fair. To most, it was the trip of a lifetime and the grand palaces on the fairgrounds dazzled them. They were also equally impressed by what they saw on the Pike. They rode the rides, visited the sideshows and tried the food. This qualified them to give advice to readers who might be coming to the fair. Some reporters came back to St. Louis in the summer and fall, continuing to write about their fair experiences. Whether they saw a dancer do the Spanish Fandango, rode completely around the grounds on the Intramural Railroad or saw the largest watermelon from Texas, they wrote about it. This book is a collection of their articles.