The Chicago 1933 World's Fair

Thursday, May 24, 2013

The Chicago World's Fair

Background

      
    I was going to get "mushy" and sentimental but decided not to. I should have another blog for that. Anyway, where did I get today's idea from? The answer is from 2 sources. First, I've seen many of the Arcade buses, but never (I don't think) ever presented them on a post, so today was the day. My second inspiration was from my cycling.

    I cycle about 25 miles or 40 kilometres 3 times a week in the spring and summer. I try to keep on our cycling paths, which I briefly introduced in the post about bridges. Montreal (Quebec), where I live has to have some of the best cycling paths for cyclists.  I try to keep on paths that are never near cars, although the paths do go all over the city. However, I find it safer to cycle on the paths never near cars. You'd think I 'd be safe, but 2 times I crashed, and both were my fault! Both times I was speeding like Lance Armstrong. However, both times, I didn't look for a second and bam! The first time, I hit a lamp post, and the second time, I entered the opposite lane and caught another cyclist. Fortunately we both were OK.

    Returning to the topic of World's fairs, I was 19 years old when I got a job at Montreal's World's  Fair - called Expos 67. What's interesting, is where I  cycle, the path follows on the former islands of where Expo '67 was, which are man-made islands. Those islands were created from all of the rocks and earth that were dug out to create our Metro or subway. Montreal at the time had a visionary mayor by the name of mr. Jean Drapeau. He was the driving force behind the World's Fair, as well as having brought the 1976 Olympics to Montreal. On a side note, when my father died in 1976, the Mayor sent a personal and signed note to our family. My parents had been renowned Jewish caterers at the time, and the Mayor had obviously been briefed on the passing of my father.

The Chicago World's Fair

   I'll leave it up to you, my readers to follow up on the 1933 Chicago's world's fair. When you think of the time (1933), you have to remember that the US and the world had just entered into what was to be called "The Great Depression". The world's economies were askew, and people suffered through not only great economic downfall, but draught as well. Unemployment rose to unheard of levels, and John Steinbeck most famously recored the mood and essence of the period with his most famous novel "The Grapes of Wrath".

  At that time, the Chicago world's Fair had most assuredly been planned years in advance, and the future of the Depression could not have been foreseen. I'm sure that the Chicago fair provided both hope for the future, and a means to escape the drudgery of the times.

Please click this sentence to be redirected to Bertoia's fine website

The  official Chicago World's Fair poster - Art Deco at its finest.

    If you've never been to a world's fair, i's a great event to visit. I was fortunate to have worked a Expos '67 at 19 years old during the summer. The worlds's countries and major corporations and organizations come together to represent their finest examples of what they are all about.  At Expos '67, each day, a county would be granted an "official day" whereupon it would be highlighted for that day. I was lucky because having worked on the site, I was given the "privilege" to be able to enter  each country's exhibit without having to wait in line. I just had to show my working pass.  In the End, Montreal's Expos '67 recored the largest number of visitors in the 2oth century to have attended the Fair.

   I've divided the toys into 2 categories. The first are the non-Arcade toys, and the second are the Arcade Cast Iron toys.

The Arcade Toys of the Chicago World's Fair of 1933

The Arcade buses came in 3 sizes.

Below are examples of their respective dimensions.

The smallest of the Arcade buses for the Chicago World's Fair.

A Photo of the small and medium-sized Arcade buses.

I suspect that the Arcade Company made the cast iron buses for GMC (General Motors Corporation). If you look closely at the truck, there are subtle differences between the GMC version and the Arcade version. However, the actual passenger vehicles are quite similar.

A Photo of the largest of the Arcade truck passenger bus.

A Kenton version of the Chicago's World's Fair truck and bus.

Thjis is the smaller of the 2 sizes that Kenton manufactured.

 The largest size of the Kenton buses.  Notice the passengers within the bus! 

      Interestingly, these particular items are not big valued items on the auction scene. Perhaps they were too limited in scope in terms of their position in history, and as such , do not have a high following of people interested in acquiring them.  Personally, I like them, because it reminds me of a long time, ago, since passed, some 46 years ago. It's unbelievable how time passes so fast, yet on a day-to-day basis seems to stand still.

    I don't like to "preach" but I do philosophize, and when you get older all of those common adages or expressions readily come to mind -  "Live each day to its fullest", "Make the best of a bad situation",  "Make each day count". 

When you get older, as I am , now approaching 65, you look back and wonder where all those years wen so fast! I can't look back at what I could have or should have done, but I can certainly look forward and ahead to tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day, 

wherever you may be.

Stacey