From Chicago to Paris to New York, the World’s Fairs of the 1930s offered visions of a world in flux—attempting to chart a future at a moment when nothing felt stable. As the Great Depression reshaped daily life and global tensions mounted, these fairs became spectacular stages where nations expressed optimism, power, and unease through architecture, technology, and performance. Art historian Jennie Hirsh examines three landmark fairs, revealing how they transformed crisis into dazzling displays that captured both the aspirations and anxieties of their era.

Session Information

Chicago 1933–1934: A Century of Progress

At the height of the Great Depression, Chicago’s “A Century of Progress” fair presented a bold vision of innovation and industrial optimism at a moment when the idea of progress felt uncertain. Attracting over 40 million visitors across its two seasons, the exposition brought that vision to life through electricity demonstrations, transportation innovations, and futuristic architecture—including attractions such as the Sky Ride—placing science and industry at the center of its vision of the modern world.

The exhibition transformed the city’s South Side into a vast showcase of modern industry and design. Visitors encountered striking national pavilions alongside displays of electricity, manufacturing, and urban planning. Hirsh illustrates how the fair blended spectacle, innovation, and national pride while also reflecting the cultural and political tensions of the era. This extraordinary event demonstrated how temporary expositions could both shape and reflect broader ideas of progress in moments of historical uncertainty.

Additional Sessions of the Visions of a Brighter Tomorrow: World’s Fairs of the 1930s Series

• October 15: Paris 1937: In the Shadow of War
• November 12: New York 1939: Dawn of a New Day

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