# 1932, 33 Worlds' Fair Held in  Chicago



## imp (Dec 23, 2015)

My folks spoke of this often, explaining, describing, as they in their own way kept a small kid interested in things experienced by the family. I remember their obvious joy in talking of it more than anything else. Held during the Great Depression, my dad out of work a long time, this event was intended to bolster sagging public interest in it's country and it's problems. Some of the buildings constructed specifically for the Fair were kept intact following it; one was the magnificently designed and built building of giant limestone blocks, enormous by any standards, which became later the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. 

That Museum intrigued me even as a kid, it having a model coal mine which was reached by visitors riding downwards a perceived hundreds of feet into the bowels of the mine in  an elevator. (It was located in the basement, who knew?). Once down there, a tour guide walked the group through tunnels seemingly cut out of a huge vein of coal: floor, walls, ceiling of coal. Felt it, touched it, looked dirty like coal, which we in Chicago all knew a lot about. We heated our house with it.

I'll explain tomorrow why I'm posting this, for today my wife found the original 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair Guide which my Mother had so sensibly preserved among her mementos, found upon her death. I am scanning pages from the Guide, and will post them tomorrow. This was an event of a lifetime, to those fortunate enough to attend.    imp


----------



## NancyNGA (Dec 24, 2015)

Hey Imp, I went through that coal mine at the Museum some time back in the late 70s, or early 80s.  Looking forward to your pictures.


----------



## imp (Dec 24, 2015)

*From the Actual World's Fair Handbook, 1933*

My Mother, bless her soul, squirreled away this handbook she and my Dad bought at the Fair. It's followed me around the country since having found it upon her death in 1986. The Fair was often spoken of by them, most impressive.   imp





































The enormity of this deal is hard to imagine! The handbook contains about 100 pages, some of the exhibiting of very concise nature, some very broad and sweeping, a bit of everything from around the world, depicting differences of cultures.  Hope you enjoyed 'em!

Nancy, sorry if I gave the impression of having pics of the coal mine! It was too dark for my old Kodak b ox camera!  
imp


----------



## NancyNGA (Dec 25, 2015)

Nice pictures, Imp.  I wasn't expecting the coal mine---just any pictures.


----------



## imp (Dec 25, 2015)

I should remark after thinking back through the foggy memory bank: the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry building was not one of those built for the 1933 World's Fair, but rather, I _think, _for the Columbian Exposition in 1892. So easy to check nowadays, but that don't exercise the aging brain cells much!   

imp


----------

