World's Fair Photographs Series
Ford Motor Company was a leading exhibitor in world fairs and other expositions held in America between 1934 and the early 1960s. This collection, consisting of 8x10 black and white photographic prints, documents various aspects of Ford's involvement including buildings, exhibits, displays, employees, celebrities and special events.
Biographical / Historical Note
Ford Motor Company began displaying its products at non-automotive exhibitions as early as 1904, becoming a leading exhibitor in world's fairs and other events by the mid 1930s and into the 1960s. In 1915, Ford Motor Company demonstrated the mass assembly...
MoreFord Motor Company began displaying its products at non-automotive exhibitions as early as 1904, becoming a leading exhibitor in world's fairs and other events by the mid 1930s and into the 1960s. In 1915, Ford Motor Company demonstrated the mass assembly of automobiles at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California. In 1933, Henry Ford boycotted the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago and instead held his own exhibition in Detroit and New York called the Ford Exposition of Progress.
Due to the success of 1933 exhibits, Ford joined the Century of Progress International Exposition in 1934. Ford Motor Company hired Albert Kahn to design a building to house exhibits. The building, a circular pavilion which was later called the Ford Rotunda, resembled graduated internally meshed gears standing twelve stories high. Exhibits in that year included a soybean processing display, a collection of new and historic Ford vehicles, an exhibit on the conversion of raw materials into finished parts, an industrialized barn, replicas of nineteen famous highways, and exhibits from twenty-one Ford Motor Company suppliers. A similar large circular building erected in 1935 in San Diego for the California Pacific International Exposition was donated to the city of San Diego after the fair.
For the 1939 New York World's Fair of Tomorrow, designers anticipating elevated roads developed an exposition building that featured a "road of tomorrow." Visitors were driven down a spiral ramp in brightly painted Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln-Zephyr automobiles.
In 1964-1965, New York was again the site for a world's fair with the theme "Peace Through Understanding." Ford Motor Company hired Welton Becket and Associates to build the Ford Pavilion, a rotunda building reminiscent of the original 1933 Ford Rotunda. Walt Disney's design firm, WED Enterprises, was also hired to create a Magic Skyway where visitors boarded convertibles for a twelve minute ride through time featuring life sized audio-animatronic figures. Other exhibits highlighted the international scope of the company.
LessScope and Content Note
There are four subseries in the World's Fair photographs series. Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois subseries, 1933-1934 (1.2 cubic ft.) is comprised of images numbered from 1 to 310. There are also several folders...
MoreThere are four subseries in the World's Fair photographs series. Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois subseries, 1933-1934 (1.2 cubic ft.) is comprised of images numbered from 1 to 310. There are also several folders arranged alphabetically, primarily documenting exhibits. The California Pacific International Exposition subseries, 1935 (1.2 cubic ft.) is arranged numerically, 2 to 671. Dallas Centennial Central Exposition subseries, 1936-1937 (1.6 cubic ft.) is also arranged numerically, 1 to 816. The New York World Fairs subseries contains material for both the 1939-1940 fair in New York and the 1964-1965 fair. The 1939-1940 New York World's Fair subsubseries, 1939-1940 (10.4 cubic ft.) is the largest and includes images both topically and numerically arranged. A numerical run begins with 1 and ends at 3,463 (with a few gaps). Among the topics are typical American families, exhibit details, Ford Motor Company employees and dealers, Ford Day, good driver's awards, visiting celebrities, and special events. There is also an index to the images in this subseries. The final subsubseries, 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, 1960-1964 (0.8 cubic ft.) is comprised wholly of photographs gathered together to create a mural entitled "Decades of Progress" for the 1964-1965 New York fair. The mural depicted the evolution of the Ford Motor Company from its inception into the 1960s. All items are black and white photographic prints, 8 x 10 inches in size.
LessCollection Details
Object ID: 64.167.232.0
Creator: Ford Motor Company. Photographic Department
Inclusive Dates: 1933-1964
Bulk Dates: 1933-1940
Size: 15.2 cubic ft.
Language: English
Collection Access & Use
Item Location: Not Currently On Exhibit
Access Restrictions: The series is open for research.
Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Digitized Artifacts From This Collection
In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
Contact us for more information about this collection.
Ford By-Products Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Ford By-Products Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition used the theme of progress to encourage optimism during the depression. The Ford Exhibition Building, which sat on eleven acres at the fair and featured industrial demonstrations and informative displays like this, became the most talked-about exhibit of 1934.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.814
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Ford By-Products Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Victor Chemical Works Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Victor Chemical Works Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition used the theme of progress to encourage optimism during the depression. The Ford Exhibition Building, which sat on eleven acres at the fair and featured industrial demonstrations and informative displays like this, became the most talked-about exhibit of 1934.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.815
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Victor Chemical Works Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Victor Chemical Works Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Victor Chemical Works Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition used the theme of progress to encourage optimism during the depression. The Ford Exhibition Building, which sat on eleven acres at the fair and featured industrial demonstrations and informative displays like this, became the most talked-about exhibit of 1934.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.820
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Victor Chemical Works Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Engineer inside Cab of the Pioneer 2-2-2 Locomotive at the Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Engineer inside Cab of the Pioneer 2-2-2 Locomotive at the Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition used the theme of progress to encourage optimism during the depression. The 11-acre Ford Motor Company exposition became the most talked-about exhibit of 1934, featuring a variety of industrial demonstrations and informative displays. Visitors to Ford's exhibit could observe this historic steam locomotive, which operated on the Cumberland Valley Railroad in the late-1800s.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Cumberland Valley Railroad Company
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.827
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Engineer inside Cab of the Pioneer 2-2-2 Locomotive at the Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Group in front of the Ford Industrialized Barn, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Group in front of the Ford Industrialized Barn, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Ford Motor Company was a major exhibitor at Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition in 1934. A large exhibition building, bandshell, and Roads of the World experience composed the fair's largest and most talked-about attraction. Ford hosted this group, who numbered among the more than twelve million fairgoers to visit the Ford exhibit.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.830
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Group in front of the Ford Industrialized Barn, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Evolution of the Ford Car, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Evolution of the Ford Car, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition used the theme of progress to encourage optimism during the depression. The Ford Exhibition Building, which sat on eleven acres at the fair and featured industrial demonstrations and informative displays like this, became the most talked-about exhibit of 1934.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.832
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Evolution of the Ford Car, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Lounge Area of the Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Lounge Area of the Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Ford Motor Company poured resources into what became the most talked-about exhibition at Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition in 1934. In addition to industrial demonstrations and informative displays, Ford offered comfortable places for visitors and special guests to rest.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.834
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Lounge Area of the Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Drum and Bugle Corps outside Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Drum and Bugle Corps outside Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Ford Motor Company was a major exhibitor at Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition in 1934. A large exhibition building, bandshell, and Roads of the World experience composed the fair's largest and most talked-about attraction. Ford hosted the Kingston Community Junior Drum and Bugle Corp, who numbered among the more than twelve million fairgoers to visit the Ford exhibit.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
United States, Illinois, Kingston
Kingston Community Junior Drum and Bugle Corps
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.852
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Drum and Bugle Corps outside Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Timken-Detroit Axle Company Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, 1934
Timken-Detroit Axle Company Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, 1934
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition used the theme of progress to encourage optimism during the depression. The Ford Exhibition Building, which sat on eleven acres at the fair and featured industrial demonstrations and informative displays like this, became the most talked-about exhibit of 1934.
Place of Creation
Keywords
United States, Illinois, Chicago, Burnham Park
Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934 : Chicago, Ill.)
Object ID
64.167.232.904
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Timken-Detroit Axle Company Display, Ford Exhibition Building, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, 1934
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.