The 1933 Chicago World's Fair A Century of Progress

Recipient of the Smithsonian Institution Secretary's Research Prize, 2010.

"Well researched and beautifully illustrated. . . . This will be an eye-opening book for people who care to learn more about how, during the dark days of the Great Depression, the political economy was reinvented through mass culture, and how, as a result, Americans came to see themselves in a new way."--Journal of Illinois History

"This book on Chicago's second big show is a welcome addition to world's fairs collections. Recommended."--Choice "With graceful prose and beautiful illustrations, Ganz demonstrates the fair's central themes of modernist architectural design, financial economy, and material progress."--The Journal of American History "Engaging social and cultural history."--Illinois Times "A highly analytical social and cultural history of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair containing many wonderful illustrations."--Left History "A formidable history. . . . This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the fair not simply from the perspective of its architecture . . . but from the perspective of women's history, ethnic history, and the social and political background of organizers."--Indiana Magazine of History "Ganz's detailed and interesting text provides an in-depth look at the individuals and forces behind the 1933 Chicago Fair, and it should please many of those interested in fair history."--Reviews in American History "Beginning and ending with controversial fan dancer Sally Rand, The 1933 Chicago World's Fair gives readers a distinctive and authoritative take on this important exposition. Cheryl R. Ganz's thorough research and very readable writing style ensure that this will remain the standard history of A Century of Progress for years to come."--John E. Findling, coeditor of Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions

"Cheryl R. Ganz gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of the 1933 Chicago world's fair, with interesting angles on the infighting among various interest groups. A significant addition to world's fair studies, with novel contributions regarding gender, race, ethnicity, and class."--Arthur P. Molella, director of the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation

"This book's strength lies in its exploration of what 'progress' meant to the various world's fair stakeholders and to the fair's historical narrative. Ganz enriches the history of world's fairs and expands our understanding of the early twentieth century."--Bonnie Lilienfeld, deputy chair and curator of the Division of Home and Community Life at the National Museum of American History