Art and Handcraft in the Woman's Building
of the World's Columbian Exposition

24 ART AND HANDICRAFT to see how easily we assume the position which they gave the glory of their youth to win for us. We honor these women and have written their names in golden letters for all the world to see and salute in our Hall of Honor. To see the work of woman at the World’s Fair we must go through every department of human inge- nuity, for there is scarcely one of these where woman’s hand has not done a share of the work. The work of man and woman, like their inter- ests, is one and indivisible. In welcoming the visitor to our building, we would say: “ Enter here for a space; sit in our library and rest your eyes with its soft colors; pace through our Hall of Honor and under- stand the spirit in which it is raised; leave criticism upon the threshold as you enter. Our salutation is, ‘ Peace be with you.’ May your answer be, ‘ And with you be peace.’ ” When I first wandered through the courts of this miraculous city, which has arisen as if by magic out of the desolate borderland between the prairie and the lake, I was moved, as rarely ever before, by the work of man’s hand. I have stood upon the edge of the Egyptian desert and gazed with questioning eyes upon the mighty sphinx. I have seen the glories of the Acropolis and knelt at the shrine of the Greek, but neither of these superlative legacies of the past impressed me more than did this prophecy of the future. For the first time in the history of our nation, the spirit of art has asserted itself, and