{"product_id":"chicago-world-s-fair-travel-poster-by-glenn-c-sheffer-1933","title":"Chicago World’s Fair Travel Poster by Glenn C. Sheffer, 1933","description":"\u003cp\u003eGlenn C. Sheffer’s \u003cem\u003eWorld’s Fair; Chicago\u003c\/em\u003e, created in 1933, presents the city’s great exposition as a vertical surge of architecture, movement and modern ambition. A monumental female figure rises from a globe at the centre, her arms lifted above a flowing blue-green gown, while skyscrapers, towers and aircraft crowd the surrounding sky. Intense blue is set against vivid orange, yellow-green and passages of near-black, giving the poster the compressed energy and immediate legibility of Art Deco commercial design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster promoted Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair, formally known as the Century of Progress International Exposition. Conceived to mark the city’s centenary, the fair placed particular emphasis on science, industry and technological development. Its vision of the future carried added force during the Great Depression: Chicago was being advertised not merely as a destination, but as a stage on which modern life could be displayed at an exhilarating scale. Sheffer, best known for poster and illustration work, translates that promise into a concise visual spectacle designed to catch the prospective traveller’s eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition climbs emphatically upwards. At its base, the word “CHICAGO” fixes the scene geographically; above it, the globe provides a rounded platform for the central figure. Her pale, metallic-toned bodice is sharply distinguished from the softer folds of her gown, which descend in long blue ribbons and create a strong sense of movement. The raised arms continue the poster’s vertical thrust, drawing the eye towards the bold capital lettering “WORLD’S FAIR” across the top.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBehind her, the city is less a literal panorama than an assembly of modern emblems. Slender structures overlap in stepped layers of blue and green, their simplified silhouettes suggesting both Chicago’s skyline and the temporary architecture of the exposition. A conspicuous tower marked with red-and-white vertical stripes interrupts the cooler palette. To the upper right, small aeroplanes and elongated airships cross the open sky, extending the imagery of progress beyond the city and into the air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe lower corners introduce a darker, more grounded counterweight. On the left, a muscular seated figure bends over what appears to be a drawing pad; on the right, another black silhouette leans forwards among the architectural forms. Their compact poses contrast with the expansive gesture of the woman above. Between these shadowed foreground figures and the bright, atmospheric background, Sheffer creates depth without sacrificing the flat colour and crisp contours essential to poster design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe wording “1833 A CENTURY OF PROGRESS 1933” makes the fair’s historical argument explicit, linking Chicago’s first hundred years to a confident vision of what might come next. Yet the design does not dwell on the past. Its globe, aircraft and soaring towers belong to a visual language of speed, international reach and technological possibility. Even the tall, narrow format contributes to this rhetoric: nearly every line seems to ascend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSheffer’s poster is especially revealing as a document of how major exhibitions were presented to a mass audience. Rather than cataloguing attractions, it condenses an entire fair into a few memorable signs—city, world, flight, architecture and the human figure. The result retains the persuasive clarity of advertising while offering a vivid record of the optimism with which 1930s Chicago chose to represent itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoosing the right size and finish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop for advice\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee examples of personalised artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/sepia-aged-maps\"\u003eSee examples of our Aged artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFramed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSelected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact our workshop\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Art print","offer_id":68178431279495,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":68178431312263,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":68178431345031,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":68178431377799,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":68178431410567,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed 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