A Fair for all the Senses—The Century of Progress International Exposition Chicago, 1933-34

A. Raymond Katz (Sándor), artist. Play, See, Hear, 1934. 
Image from anything could happen.

In the previous post we featured an illustration by A. Raymond Katz (Sándor) for the small book published in 1935 titled, Love Poems of an Artists Model and as a follow-up we’re showing a promotional poster Katz designed in 1934 for the Chicago World’s Fair—A Century of Progress. The 1933-34 International Exposition was an event set on Chicago’s lakefront in the heart of downtown. 

The poster’s dynamic composition, rhythmical patterns, and strong complementary colors indicates the influence of modern twentieth century art in Katz's painted montage that highlighted some of the popular attractions of the World’s Fair.

In 1934 the World’s Fair was back by popular demand due to the the success of the 1933 World’s Fair. Among the poster images is an exotic dancer and star nightclub attraction of he time, Sally Rand. Rand is shown wearing a safari helmet that suggests another famous act, Frank Buck’s Jungle Camp and “Old Morocco” on the Midway.

Katz packed a lot into the poster for the 1934 World's Fair which was held during the Great Depression. The Fair also featured the new such as Chicago Moderne architecture inspired by Art Deco and streamline styling, and included numerous state-of-the-art technology exhibits. Chicago became a futuristic symbol of a “Rainbow City” demonstrating the effect and power of photovoltaic cells that converted natural light into electricity.