Friends of the Gamelan traces its roots to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. One of the many exotic attractions on the Midway Plaisance was the Java Village, complete with a Sundanese gamelan. Never before had gamelan music been heard in the Western hemisphere.

The Field Museum of Chicago was founded to preserve, catalog, and exhibit the myriad cultural treasures that remained following the World's Columbian Exposition, including the gamelan.

Here is a sample of resources related to the World's Columbian Exposition, the Java Village, and the collection of the Field Museum of Chicago.

Field Museum Resources

• 1893 World's Columbian Exposition Collection


• Java Village collection


• Java Village photographs


• Bonang barung from Java Village Sundanese gamelan


• Bonang barung with interactive audio

Other Resources

• Java Village leaflet from the World's Columbian Exposition


• World's Columbian Exposition: Idea, Experience, Aftermath