Lake Forest College anthropologist Rebecca Graff appears in a new WTTW documentary on the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, airing Friday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m.

Graff, associate professor of anthropology at Lake Forest College, is featured in the "Chicago Stories" episode "The World's Fair of 1893." The episode is the first in the documentary series' fall 2026 season, according to WTTW.

A WTTW film crew interviewed Graff on the Lake Forest College campus in June 2025 for the documentary, the college said. In the episode, Graff discusses the spectacle of the exposition's "White City," the fair's influence on modern consumer culture, and how remnants beneath Jackson Park continue to shape Chicago's public memory. She also explores how the fair celebrated American progress while reflecting divisions around race, labor and class.

Her focus is the 1893 fair.

"I have used Chicago Stories documentaries in many of my courses here at Lake Forest College, so it's a special thrill to be able to discuss my research with WTTW in service of this great series," Graff said in the college's announcement.

Graff is a historical archaeologist who has spent years researching the exposition and its aftermath. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of Chicago and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. Her book, "Disposing of Modernity: The Archaeology of Garbage and Consumerism During Chicago's 1893 World's Fair," was published in 2020 by the University Press of Florida and the Society for Historical Archaeology.

At Lake Forest College, Graff also chairs the Sociology and Anthropology department and the Museum Studies program. She won the college's William L. Dunn Award for Outstanding Teaching and Scholarly Promise in 2018.

The episode was produced and written by Peter Marks and Tania Lindsay.

The Oct. 2 episode will also stream on the PBS app and WTTW's Chicago Stories website.