The 1892 Democratic Convention at the Wigwam in Chicago

There were two color pages in the June 23, 1892 issue, the front page portrait of Grover Cleveland and the back page which featured the "Wigwam," site of the 1892 Democratic Convention. There were very few images of the Wigwam and this may very well have been the only color view of the building.

Page 8 of the Illustrated Supplement of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, Illustrated Supplement.
The Democratic Convention Wigwam

The Wigwam was a temporary structure erected on, and facing, Michigan Avemue between Madison and Washington Streets. It was a beast of a building, seating 20,000 conventioneers.
Convention-goers were not particularly pleased with the Wigwam, as just 10 minutes after the opening gavel fell on June 21, inclement weather paid a visit and the temporary nature of the building was exposed. From a page two article...

"About 12:10 one of Chicago's thunderstorms rolled over the Wigwam, and the interior of the hall was filled with more or less of Egyptian darkness, through which sharp, quick flashes of lightning occasionally shot, and the building shook with several rounds of rattling thunder. Umbrellas were raised in all parts of the hall for protection from various aggressive globules of water that sneaked in through crevices in the roof."

The view in the picture would be from across Michigan Avenue as the brass band parades in front of the building. The caption reads "The Democratic Convention Wigwam, Chicago, June 21-26, 1892." The artist is not noted.

The Wigwam existed for just over a month. Construction was completed in early June and the building was gone by the middle of July, either dismantled or destroyed in a thunderstorm...the history is vague.