Over 100 staff kept the fair running—over 50 in period costume.

An aerial acrobat dazzled waiting queues. A tightrope walker, juggler, and a half-dozen bourgeoisie kept the midway entertained. A sketch artist captured the daring poses of future aeronauts. A fortune-teller divined a hopeful future from tarot cards. A pair of female scientists taught hundreds of kids about meteorology with a custom hand-cranked wind tunnel. Thousands hand-ground their own coffee with a recreation of the world’s-first coffee roasters from 1862. A gameswoman entertained children with lawn games of the era. A phonograph DJ spun modern takes on Victorian classics. And an actual hypnotist helped hundreds conquer their fear of heights—all under the cheerful glow of the two towering balloons—a circus in all the meanings of the word.

Our goal was to effectively transport thousands of people in time—a feat requiring meticulous design of every object at every level.