Ethan Vukelich

Mrs. Taliani
AA English I
April 26, 2015
The Chicago World Fair of 1933 and 1934
During the Great Depression many people were not worried about what was going on
around the world. Everybody was only worried about how they were going to provide for
themselves and for the families. Then came the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1933. This exposition
allowed the people to see and familiarize themselves about some of the important affairs that are
occurring around the world. The fairs theme of A Century of Progress meant that the fair is
going to showcase many different scientific advancement other countries have achieved. The
Chicago Worlds Fair of 1933 surprising became a huge success during the devastating Great
Depression. How the fair came to be, what occurred during the fair, and the large after effects of
the fair greatly contributed to its huge success.
Everything great has a beginning. The beginning of the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1933
was one of the most important parts of the entire fair. The idea of hosting the fair did not just
arise out of nowhere, it went through a long process of consideration just like any other major
event. The idea was first conceived after the large success of the Pageant of Progress. Chicagos
Pageant of Progress was a large fair that was considered to be that largest exposition of industrial
and business exhibits since the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition. Robert W. Rydell stated
that:
The festival's success in attracting over a million visitors during its two-week run
inspired a diverse group of Chicago's business and civic authorities to propose another

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world's fair that would build confidence in the fundamental soundness of the American
economy and political system. (Rydell).
This states that Chicagos Pageant of Progress in 1922 was so successful, the city though that
they needed a way to continue their popularity. This then sparked the idea of hosting another
worlds fair.
The Pageant of Progress was not the only thing that sparked the cities interests into
hosting another worlds fair. Chicago was first founded in 1833. Remembering this gave the
government and people the idea to host the next worlds fair in 1933. The fair was planned to be
hosted in honor of the cities one hundredth anniversary and of the architectural and scientific
advancements the city has seen throughout one hundred years. The idea of the hundred year
anniversary helped the people to accept the idea of hosting another world fair.
The cost of the fair is another large part of how it started. According to chicagohs.org, A
Century of Progress was unique in that it was financed through sources other than government
subsidies. (Century of Progress). This is amazing because the fair was held during the midst
of the Great Depression. Another way money was raised was by selling Legion Memberships,
these memberships were membership tickets sold before the fair took place and granted
admission into it. The total cost of construction of all of the buildings that came with the fair
came to a total of $36,647,836. In the end, a total of $42,900,989 were spent funding the cost of
the fair.
Another very important part of any event is what goes on during it. The World Fair of
1933 had a large amount of exhibits including the Homes of Tomorrow exhibit and the Skyride.
The Skyride was one of the most distinguishable features of the whole entire fair. This was a

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large cable car system that was used to transport people from one side of the Chicago River to
the other side. It was estimated that around 4.5 million people road across the river in the 32 cars
that the Skyride had. It was advertised as the equivalent of the Eiffel Tower (at the Paris
Exposition of 1889) and the Ferris Wheel (at the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition).
(Moore). The Skyride was the so called face of the fair being its most popular attraction. The
Homes of Tomorrow exhibit showed a different design that was unknown to the people of the
1930s. The Worlds Fair design committee sought homes that were affordable and easy to
mass produce. (Worlds Fair Houses). Being a popular exhibit at the fair, all of the homes
modeled here are still standing today.
At the fair, there was not just exhibits that were created and credited from the United
States. There was also many different exhibits that were showcased by other foreign countries.
One major example is the Graf Zeppelin. The Graf Zeppelin was a large airship built by
Germany in 1928. As soon as it was built it was very popular worldwide. When it arrived at the
fair, it caused a large amount of controversy involving the two Nazi swastikas located on the
ships back fins. This controversy cause the airship to only be allowed to fly clockwise around
the city so the people of Chicago would only see the tri-colored German flag.
Germany was not the only country with exhibits at the fair. Other countries such as Italy,
the British Empire, Denmark, and many other countries. Most every one of the countries listed
have also brought food and cuisine from their country. Visitors this year can readily find
whatever type of restaurant they prefer. All told, there are more than eighty restaurants, cafs,
grills and night clubs, with a seating capacity of more than 38,000. (Crissey, 34). The influence
of the international exhibits the fair had on the people of the United States was very large.

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Last, but certainly not least is the after effects of the fair on the people and the U.S. as a
whole. Many things came from this fair including other cities around the U.S. to host world fairs
of their own. Two of these cities include the New York City and San Francisco. Both of these
fairs were held in the same year, however they discussed different topics of significance. The
New York City Fair focused on Building the World of Tomorrow. According to
archives.nypl.org, The success of Chicagos 1933 Century of Progress exposition persuaded
many that a fair in New York would stimulate local trade and industry long dampened by the
lingering effects of the Great Depression. (New York Worlds Fair). The fair focused on
rebuilding a better future for the U.S. after the Great Depression. The next fair was the one in
San Francisco. The theme of this fair was Pageant of the Pacific. This fair focused on the two
newly constructed Golden Gate Bridge and the Oakland Bay Bridge. The impact that the
Chicago World Fair had on the other World Fairs throughout America was amazing.
The Chicago World Fair of 1933 really gave the U.S. great international reviews. Many
suggest that this fair has set the stage for America to become a consumers paradise. Robert
Rydell says in his article about the fair that The fair suggested that America, despite the
Depression, was well on the way toward becoming a consumer paradise. (Rydell). A
consumers paradise is exactly what it sounds like, it is a place where people from all around the
world come to purchase items. The fair also suggested that the U.S. is going to be one of the
greatest countries. The fair showed that despite the hardship the country has been going through,
it can pull off an amazing exposition. It shows that no matter what it thrown at the U.S., the
people will always prevail.
The Great Depression was a harsh time in the U.S. Many people were suffering. The Worlds
fair showed all of the other countries that the United States was a great country. All of the struggles

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that occurred at the start, all of the exhibits, and the after affects just increased the success of the fair.
The World Fair of 1933 was an exposition that had all of the odds against itself and then succeeded.

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Works Cited
A Century of Progress. Chicagohs. Chicago Historical Society, 1999. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Century of Progress: 1933 Worlds Fair Houses. Gator Preservationist. University of Floridas
historic preservation, 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
Crissey, Forrest. Chicagos Encore. The Saturday Evening Post. 14 July 1934: page 30,32,34.
Print
Graf Zeppelin History. Airshipsnet A Dirigible and Zeppelin History Site RSS. N.p., n.d. Web.
27 Apr. 2015.
Highlights of the Golden Gate International Exposition. SFPL. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
International Exhibits from the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
Moore, Lora. The McClintock Letter. South Jersey Postcard Club. December 2014: page 1.
Print
New York Worlds Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records 1935-1945 [bulk 1939-1940] D.
New York Worlds Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records. N.p., n.d. Web. 27
Apr. 2015.