Century of Progress

Souvenirs

This is a souvenir penny from the Century of Progress, a world's fair held from 1933 to 1934 in Chicago. The coin depicts the Skyway, a ride that spanned two observation towers which served as a symbol of the fair. If you look closely at the back of the penny, you can see the date it was made, 1893 which was 40 years earlier. It is interesting to note that there was a world's fair held in 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition, which was also held in Chicago.

This is a souvenir spoon from the 1933-1934 Century of Progress worlds fair. The top of the handle features the art deco logo of the fair along with the text "Clara Lu 'n' Em" which was the name of a 1930s radio show based in Illinois.

The premise of the show was three housewives chatting about current topics, whether that was politics, popular culture, or even just everyday living. The show was an early example of a "show about nothing," a concept that would become cemented in pop culture with shows like Seinfeld. Clara, Lu 'n' Em was hosted by Louise Starkey, Isobel Carothers, and Helen King, all three of whom were graduates of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. In fact, the three of them first created these personas while attending university as a way to entertain the sorority they were a part of, that being Zeta Phi Eta. The characters in the show were named Clara, portrayed by Starkey, Lu, portrayed by Carothers, and Em, portrayed by King. The show lasted from 1930 until 1946.

The bowl of the spoon depicts the fair's Court of the Hall of Science which is just simply shortened to the Science Court. The Hall of Science was a show building built for the Century of Progress to house exhibits of the latest scientific and technological achievements. The mark on the back of the spoon reads "Winthrop silver plate."

References

  • Olson, Janet. “Who’d ‘a Thought It! From Radio to Stage with ‘Clara, Lu “N” Em’ – LIBRARIES | Blog.” sites.northwestern.edu. Northwestern University, December 11, 2019. https://sites.northwestern.edu/northwesternlibrary/2019/12/11/whod-a-thought-it-from-radio-to-stage-with-clara-lu-n-em/.

This is a souvenir needle book from the Century of Progress. It was manufactured in Japan and still includes the original black paper insert as well as most of the original needles.

Above is the black insert paper included with the book. To the left is the selection of verious types of needles as well as a needle threader.

Postcards