World of Fairs: The Century-of-Progress Expositions [Paperback]

Robert W. Rydell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226732371 | ISBN-13: 978-0226732374 | Publication Date: November 1, 1993 | Edition: 1

In the depths of the Great Depression, when America's future seemed bleak, nearly one hundred million people visited expositions celebrating the "century of progress." These fairs fired the national imagination and served as cultural icons on which Americans fixed their hopes for prosperity and power.

World of Fairs continues Robert W. Rydell's unique cultural history—begun in his acclaimed All the World's a Fair—this time focusing on the interwar exhibitions. He shows how the ideas of a few—particularly artists, architects, and scientists—were broadcast to millions, proclaiming the arrival of modern America—a new empire of abundance build on old foundations of inequality.

Rydell revisits several fairs, highlighting the 1926 Philadelphia Sesquicentennial, the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition, the 1933-34 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition, the 1935-36 San Diego California Pacific Exposition, the 1936 Dallas Texas Centennial Exposition, the 1937 Cleveland Great Lakes and International Exposition, the 1939-40 San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition, the 1939-40 New York World's Fair, and the 1958 Brussels Universal Exposition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Historian Rydell ( All the World's a Fair ) analyzes the content and impact of Depression-era "century of progress" fairs. He convincingly documents his conclusion that these fairs tried to create middle-class cohesion by promoting faith in the government, in the synonymy of science and progress, and in the goodwill of major corporations. Beginning with the revitalization of the world's fair movement after the stock market crash of 1929, he then looks at how fairs promoted eugenics as part of the definition of a better future. In discussing specific fairs, he finds imperialism buttressed in the contents of the 1939-40 San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition. He sees "the unity of science and industry" extolled at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair, where a future of consumer bliss was promised by companies such as General Foods and Formica. A provocative chapter is devoted to the efforts of African Americans (who, in general, had a different view of the future) to nudge the fairs to acknowledge social justice issues. However, though he includes numerous interesting details, Rydell's ponderous, jargon-laden style detracts from his mission. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robert W. Rydell is professor of history at Montana State University. His All the World's A Fair is also published by the University of Chicago Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226732371
• ISBN-13: 978-0226732374
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #911,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book., February 2, 1999

By 

Eric "hangthedj" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: World of Fairs: The Century-of-Progress Expositions (Paperback)

Rydell posits that the world's fairs that occurred from the late 19th century until the mid-twentieth century were designed to promote corporate and government agendas of imperialism, and to inaugurate the populace into a culture of unchecked consumerism. After reading this book, I'm convinced.

9 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars World Fairs as Seen Through a Marxist Lens, September 20, 2004

By 

Steve Rogers (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: World of Fairs: The Century-of-Progress Expositions (Paperback)

If you want to know what the Worlds' Fairs would look like to a Marxist, then this is the book for you. The basic idea of Marxism is that Capitalism is an unsustainable system of "consumption" that relies on exploitation and imperialism to feed itself. The thesis of this book is that the Fairs were tools of the Bourgeois to enjoin the masses to become fully engaged in the imperialistic feeding frenzy that was Capitalism from 1850-1950. The meaning of the fairs is as broad an issue as the meaning of Capitalism and western civilization - you can't find the meaning of the fairs by looking only at the fairs themselves. Such an analysis naturally depends heavily on the context the author brings to the task - and Rydell's context is Marxism.