Poster
1933 (printed)
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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.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Lithograph |
| Brief description | Poster, advertising the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair, designed by Weimer Pursell, printed by Neely Printing Co., lithograph, Chicago, 1933 |
| Physical description | Poster, printed in bright block colours (predominantly yellow, blue, orange and green) and simple streamlined forms. It depicts the Hall of Science at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair - a huge building with a towering structure resembling a skyscraper. A broad staircase and terraces lead up to the building. Groups of figures are depicted in font of the building and on the terraces. Four of the Fair's other buildings are depicted along the lower edge of the poster including, from left to right, the Federal Building, the Electrical Building, the Travel and Transport Building, and the Agricultural Building. |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Purchase funded by V&A Members |
| Object history | This is one of five posters designed by Weimer Pursell (1906-1974) for the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair. Pursell, who had studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, was a prominent American illustrator of 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He worked extensively in advertising, and also designed a number of (now famous) World War II propaganda posters. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | 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. |
| Bibliographic reference | Wilk, Christopher. Plywood: A Material Story. London: Thames & Hudson / V&A, 2017
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.374-2017 |
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| Record created | May 22, 2017 |
| Record URL |
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