Century of Progress Records, Collection Description
- Related Archival Collections
- A Century of Progress - Series II: Government Correspondence
- A Century of Progress - Series III: Board of Trustees
- A Century of Progress - Series IV: Rufus C. Dawes
- A Century of Progress - Series IX: Confidential Files
- A Century of Progress - Series V: Committees
- A Century of Progress - Series VI: General Manager
- A Century of Progress - Series VII: Legal Department
- A Century of Progress - Series VIII: Comptroller
- A Century of Progress - Series X: Secretary's Files
- A Century of Progress - Series XI: Exhibits Department
- A Century of Progress - Series XII: Concessions Department
- A Century of Progress - Series XIII: Transportation Section
- A Century of Progress - Series XIV: Promotion Department
- A Century of Progress - Series XV: Fair History
- A Century of Progress - Series XVI: Publications
- A Century of Progress - Series XVII: Iconographics
- A Century of Progress records -- Collection Description and Series I: General Correspondence, 1927-1952
- Collection ID Coll MS C39761
- Creator Names Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
- Title Century of Progress records.
- Physical description 555 linear ft.
- Collection arrangement This collection is divided into seventeen series: General correspondence, Government correspondence, Board of Trustees, Rufus C. Dawes, Committees, General Manager, Legal Department, Comptroller, Confidential files, Secretary's files, Exhibits Department, Concessions Department, Transportation Section, Promotion Department, Fair history, Publications, Iconographics.
- Biographical or Historical Note A Century of Progress International Exposition was held in Chicago during the summers of 1933 and 1934. The fair celebrated the scientific and technological advances made in the century since the founding of Chicago in 1833. The main features of the fair included exhibits depicting the application of scientific priciples to consumer and other industries; historical replicas; pavillions of the state and federal governments; and foreign villages. Under the direction of Lenox Riley Lohr, the general manager, the exposition met all of its financial obligations and closed with surplus funds, which were distributed among Chicago charities.
- Collection summary The collection includes correspondence, notes, reports, minutes, legal and financial records, charts, graphs, statistics, press releases, clippings, pamphlets, magazines, newsletters, photographs, blueprints, and phonograph records. The materials pertain to the construction, operation and demolition of the fair, 1928-1935, the lawsuit against the park commissioners, 1936-1937, and the writing of the official history of the fair, 1935-1940.
- Finding Aids Note Finding aid available.
- Acquisition information
- A Century of Progress papers became part of the Lohr Collection in the following way: The Century of Progress corporation continued in existence a number of years after the close of the exposition to supervise demolition, little legal claims, and close the accounts. The General Managere was charged by the Board of Trustees with writing the official history of the fair. Lohr's staff went through the files and removed specific items to compile special subject folders, chronologies and department histories. The items, as well as certain important record groups, were sent to Lohr's New York office when he became President of NBC in 1936. Meanwhile, the bulk of the corporate records were transferred from the Administration building on the fairgrounds to a downtown Chicago office under the supervision of the Secretary. Selected series were loaned out to persons working on the official history.
- In 1940, when Lohr returned to Chicago to become President of the Museum of Science and Industry, he proposed that A Century of Progress office be closed and all records be transferred to the Museum. The museum also assumed all outstanding obligations and claims of the corporation. A Century of Progress memorial exhibit was dedicated on May 27, 1942. In the course of these moves, some of the records were lost or destroyed, although no systematic appraisal and disposition was carried out. The official fair history was not published until 1952, when Lohr revised sections of the manuscript and issued it as Fair Management. After Lohr's death in 1968, the Century of Progress papers were offered to the UIC Library
- Names
- Lohr, Lenox R. (Lenox Riley), 1891-1968 Sources.
- Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.) Archives.
- South Park Commission (Chicago, Ill.) Sources.
- Subjects Exhibitions Illinois Chicago Sources.