Pieces of memorbilia from the 1904 World's Fair were not necessarily souveniers; but were actually meant to be functional Items. The above letter opener is one of those functional items. (another functional item was the Watch Fob that I highlighted in November of 1996). I recently acquired this piece from Leo Lavertu from Buhl, Idaho. He found me through the web page and wanted to make sure that his letter opener went to a person who would appreciate it as much as he had. His story is short but interesting. When he was a small lad his friend was playing with the letter opener and was trying to destroy it. Leo interviend and told his friend that if he was only going to destroy it, he should hand the letter opener over. His friend did and it has been Leo's ever since, and that was over 30 years ago.
The letter opener measures seven and a quarter inches
in length and is made of brass. The handle of the opener is topped with
an eagle with it's wings opened and pearched on a branch. Under the eagle
is a buffalo. An indian head is below the buffalo and under the indian head
is a train engine. The handle is finished off with a round globe. The blade
part of the opener has an image of the Cascade Garden
and Festival Hall. Enscribed on the blade are the words "Louisiana
Purchase Exposition St. Louis 1904". A smaller date is engraved just
under Festival Hall, "July 28, 1904". The back side of the opener
is equally ornate showing the back of the eagle and only the indian head,
train engine and globe are repeated. There is also a symbol on the back
where Festival Hall was located on the front. (Image shown on the right).
Currently I have not identified the mark.
If you have any idea as to what organization this symbol represents
please e-mail me.
Return to main page | Return
to map page
What's New || Fair Buildings || Fair Maps || Memorabilia || What's Left || Books In Print
Fair Information || Exhibits & Statues || Newspaper Articles || 1904 World's Fair Society || The Movie || FAQ's
If you have questions or comments regarding the 1904 World's Fair feel free
to contact me at
Terry's 1904 World's Fair Page.