Pan-American Exposition Souvenir Spoon, Temple of Music and Electric Tower: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Souvenir spoon commemorating the Pan American Exposition held in Buffalo, New York in 1901. Spoon features images of the Fair's Temple of Music and Electric Tower.

The 1901 Pan-American Exposition was a World’s Fair held in Buffalo, New York. Between May and November, over 8 million people attended the event. Intended to both highlight and promote the commercial, technological, and cultural development of the Western Hemisphere, the Pan-American Exposition was referred to as the “Rainbow City” for its spectacular nighttime illumination powered by nearby Niagara Falls. Electricity was also prominently used in features such as the 375-foot Electric Tower and in a popular fountain light show.

In addition to a diversity of exhibits displaying commercial goods, technological inventions and fine art, fairgoers enjoyed Midway amusements such as the Aeriocycle a “giant see-saw” ride, and the Trip to the Moon, a dark ride later relocated to Coney Island’s Luna Park. The Bureau of Indian Affairs participated in the Fair and the Exposition was visited by numerous Native American leaders, and at one point featured a large mock battle between “Indians” and the “US Cavalry”.

Today, the Fair is remembered for being the site of the assassination of President William McKinley, who was shot by an anarchist at the Exposition’s Temple of Music on September 6th, dying of his wounds eight days later. The Pan-American’s only remaining edifice, the New York State Building, now serves as the home of the Buffalo History Museum.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1901
• Object Name: Spoon, Demitasse
• Measurements: overall: 1 3/8 in x 4 1/8 in x 5/8 in; 3.4925 cm x 10.4775 cm x 1.5875 cm
• place made: United States: New York, Buffalo
• Subject: Expositions and Fairs
• related event: Pan-American Exposition
• ID Number: 1989.0438.0949
• catalog number: 1989.0438.0949
• accession number: 1989.0438
• catalog number: 1901SP14
• Credit Line: The Larry Zim World's Fair Collection
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.