The 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair, dubbed the ‘Century of Progress’, was a celebration of the centenary of the city’s founding. Intended to demonstrate the progress of humanity through scientific technology, the fair’s central aim was to lift the Chicago out of the depths of the Great Depression by encouraging collaboration between governments, scientists and industries. The fair presented new technology both in its exhibits and, crucially, through its architecture – all of the buildings demonstrated modern construction techniques and materials. These huge and quickly-erected prefabricated palaces were intended to impress on visitors the scale and potential of the US building industry.

This poster highlights the importance of architecture to the fair, focussing on five of its most prominent buildings. The main illustration is of the Hall of Science – the centrepiece of the 1933 fair, designed by classically-trained architect Paul Cret (1876-1945). The Hall of Science was based around the quintessentially American form of the skyscraper, and it is this very contemporary feature of the design that Pursell highlights. The four other buildings illustrated at the bottom of the poster emphasise the overall scale of construction (as well as the use of contemporary, streamlined forms). These buildings are, left to right, the Federal Building, the Electrical Building, the Travel and Transport Building, and the Agricultural Building.