Saturday, July 30, 2011
This vesta case, which, by the way has a cigar cutter built right in, features the Cascade Gardens, one on the main attractions at the fair. Historians almost always point out that the managers of the fair made sure that only fresh, clean water tumbled down cascades from Festival Hall along the slope of Art Hill and into the Grand Basin. Evidently, during this period the water in St. Louis was muddy and discolored.
Flower beds and sculptures bordered the cascade, and it was colorfully lit at night, so clean, clear water was required to get the right effect. At night, bands would perform at the cascades, and most of them included Scott Joplin’s “Cascades” in their performances.
