[Exterior of Woman's building, at World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois]

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The Woman's Building stands out among the Columbian Exposition structures as the one designed largely by women and devoted to showcasing their work. Its architect was Sophia Hayden, a 23-year-old Boston woman who became the first woman to graduate from MIT's architecture program, and the building held exhibits, meeting rooms, and art on display that highlighted women's achievements in industry, education, and the arts. Set in the White City on the fairgrounds in Jackson Park, the 1893 exposition drew millions of visitors and celebrated American progress four centuries after Columbus, and this photograph records the building's exterior as it appeared during that season. Its classical white facade, like the rest of the fair's buildings, was built to look solid but was made of temporary staff, a plaster-and-fiber material that was later destroyed.

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