This colorful glass transfer has a picture of the Administration Building from the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The building served as the site of the opening ceremony. Designed by Robert M. Hunt (1827 – 1895) of New York, the building stood at the center of the Grand Plaza, held the offices of prominent exposition officials, and was the center of business operations. There were no exhibits within the building, but there was an extensive selection of sculptures made by Karl Bitter (1867 – 1915) of New York inside. Although smaller in comparison to other exposition buildings, the Administrative Building was considered the most beautiful building at the exposition and served as the perfect background for the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony of the exposition took place on May 1, 1893, and began with a parade composed of U.S. officials, distinguished guests, and other dignitaries. The parade ended on the east side of the Administration Building at a set of grandstands facing the Grand Plaza and Basin. The Grand Plaza was filled with a crowd of more than 10,000 people waiting for the opening ceremony to begin. The ceremony started with a song, prayer, and poem, followed by a speech from the Director-General of the exposition, George R. Davis (1840 – 1899) and the President of the United States, Grover Cleveland (1837 – 1908). The exposition officially opened when President Cleveland pressed an electrical button on a table that symbolically turned on the exposition’s electricity, queued the release of flags, signaled gun and whistle salutes from ships, queued the music from bands, and released the grandest of songs from the crowd. The 1893 Columbian Exposition became one of the most successful expositions with over 27 million visitors.