The Columbian Exposition
In 1893, the event that helped popularize Cochran's dishwasher occurred: the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It contained 65,000 exhibits, which were viewed by 27,000,000 people (Zierdt-Warshaw, Winkler, and Bernstein, 56-57). These people saw and used dishes cleaned by her invention in its restaurants, and the dishwasher became better known.
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There were many different buildings at the fair, with exhibits ranging from fine art to food sculptures. Especially important were new machines and inventions, like the world's first Ferris Wheel. The popular Electricity Building had new electrical irons, lamps, and Edison’s kinetoscope. The Woman’s Building had different creations by women, like candlesticks, corsets, and even an elevator, but unlike most women, Cochran did not showcase her invention in this smaller building, which the female architect was paid much less money to design. Instead, Cochran showcased her dishwasher in the Machinery Hall, which had all of the latest technology, and she won an award for one of the best inventions shown at the fair (Zierdt-Warshaw, Winkler, and Bernstein, 56-57).