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Century of Progress

A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), celebrated the city's centennial. Designed largely in Art Deco style, the theme of the fair was technological innovation, and its motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms", trumpeting the message that science and American life were wedded.[1] Its architectural symbol was the Sky Ride, a transporter bridge perpendicular to the shore on which one could ride from one side of the fair to the other.

For the Chicago World's Fair held in 1893, see World's Columbian Exposition.

1933–1934 Chicago

Universal exposition

Historical Expo

A Century of Progress International Exposition

Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms

172 hectares (430 acres)

48,469,227

United States

Chicago

Lakefront, Northerly Island

41°51′38″N 87°36′41″W / 41.86056°N 87.61139°W / 41.86056; -87.61139

1923

May 27, 1933 (1933-05-27)

October 31, 1934 (1934-10-31)

Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 in Sevilla and 1929 Barcelona International Exposition in Barcelona

Brussels International Exposition (1935) in Brussels

One description of the fair noted that the world, "then still mired in the malaise of the Great Depression, could glimpse a happier not-too-distant future, all driven by innovation in science and technology". Fair visitors saw the latest wonders in rail travel, automobiles, architecture and even cigarette-smoking robots.[2] The exposition "emphasized technology and progress, a utopia, or perfect world, founded on democracy and manufacturing."[3]

Later history[edit]

Amoebic dysentery outbreak[edit]

From June to November 1933, there was an outbreak of amoebic dysentery associated with the fair. There were more than a thousand cases, resulting in 98 deaths.[34][35][36] Joel Connolly of the Chicago Bureau of Sanitary Engineering brought the outbreak to an end when he found that defective plumbing permitted sewage to contaminate drinking water in two hotels.

Extension[edit]

Originally, the fair was scheduled only to run until November 12, 1933, but it was so successful that it was opened again to run from May 26 to October 31, 1934.[37] The fair was financed through the sale of memberships, which allowed purchases of a certain number of admissions once the park was open. More than $800,000 was raised in this manner as the country was in the Great Depression. A $10 million bond was issued on October 28, 1929, the day before the stock market crashed. By the time the fair closed in 1933, half of these notes had been retired, with the entire debt paid by the time the fair closed in 1934. For the first time in American history, an international fair had paid for itself. In its two years, it had attracted 48,769,227 visitors. According to James Truslow Adams's Dictionary of American History, during the 170 days beginning May 27, 1933, there were 22,565,859 paid admissions; during the 163 days beginning May 26, 1934, there were 16,486,377; a total of 39,052,236.[38]

's 1935 novel Somebody in Boots features the Chicago World's Fair of 1933–34, with the Century of Progress being described as "the brief city sprung out of the prairie and falling again into dust."[43]

Nelson Algren

wrote about attending the Century of Progress as a boy in the 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash[44]

Jean Shepherd

Roy J. Snell, author of books for boys and girls, used Chicago, the building of the Fair site, the Fair itself -including the Sky Ride - and then certain portions of the Fair after it closed in several of his books. Publisher, Reilly & Lee. Books now in Public Domain.

, originally the sixth book in Clair Blank's Beverly Gray series, was published in 1935 and is set at the Century of Progress. The book was dropped when the series changed publishers due to fears that readers would find it dated, and has since become a sought after volume by collectors of the series.

Beverly Gray at the World's Fair

In True Detective, the 1983 private eye novel by , and the first to feature his long-running character Nate Heller, Heller is hired as a security consultant by the Fair, and a good deal of the novel is set there. The suspenseful action climax takes place at the Fair. The novel went on to win the Shamus from the Private Eye Writers of America for Best Novel.[45]

Max Allan Collins

Brief footage of the fairground sideshows is used in the 1933 film , the plot of which revolves around the fair. It was the last film made by Clara Bow. Also shown is a panorama of the Century of Progress concourse.

Hoop-La

In her novel , Ayn Rand describes a world fair named The March of the Centuries. Despite having taken place in 1936, The March of the Centuries bears a striking similarity to the Century of Progress exposition: it, too, is designed by a group of architects; architect Howard Roark was initially invited but later denied opportunity to participate in planning (as his prototype Frank Lloyd Wright was left off the commission), the fair opened in May. Rand described the fair as "a ghastly flop" and mentioned that its only attraction was "somebody named Juanita Fay who danced with a live peacock as sole garment" (a description clearly based on Sally Rand's performance).[46]

The Fountainhead

Mural Geheral Exhibit 3rd pavilion

Mural Geheral Exhibit 3rd pavilion

One of the eagles that stood on pedestals along Lakeshore Drive and Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago during the World's Fair.

One of the eagles that stood on pedestals along Lakeshore Drive and Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago during the World's Fair.

Poster for the fair by Glen C. Sheffer.

Poster for the fair by Glen C. Sheffer.

Ground Plan for the Exhibit showing name and location of most exhibits. From the files of Assistant Ticket Manager Joseph W Baker.

Ground Plan for the Exhibit showing name and location of most exhibits. From the files of Assistant Ticket Manager Joseph W Baker.

Japanese official pavilion buildings at the 1933 World's Fair, with gardens constructed by Chicago Japanese garden builder T.R. Otsuka

Japanese official pavilion buildings at the 1933 World's Fair, with gardens constructed by Chicago Japanese garden builder T.R. Otsuka

List of world expositions

List of world's fairs

Official website of the BIE

1933/1934 Chicago World's Fair website

Chicago World's Fair: A Century of Progress International Exposition – 1933/34 in Postcards

Panoramic photograph of Century of Progress (from Library of Congress website)

Website dedicated to the 1933–1934 Century of Progress

Interactive map of the Century of Progress Fair

Photographs of Graf Zeppelin over Chicago

on www.BROWNIE.camera

Century of progress Brownie camera

1933 Century of Progress Digital Collection from the University of Chicago

Burnham, Beaux-Arts, Plan of Chicago, & Fairs

Chicago Art Deco Society

Florida Pavilion – Chicago World's Fair 1933

A Century of Progress Records at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Century of Progress images from University of Illinois at Chicago digital collections

History Detectives . Investigations – Sideshow Babies | PBS

Popular Mechanics, October 1934, pp. 497–512

"The Miracle of Light at the World's Fair"

Chicago Tribune, October 1933

"Three Little Maids draw a crowd of 10,000 at Chicago's World's Fair"