Century Grill, World's Fair Chicago 1934
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The Century Grill was an on-site dining establishment and lunch counter operating at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1934, in the middle of the Great Depression.
The Great Depression started with the stock market crash in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. The aim of the exposition was to celebrate technical innovation and recovery during the ongoing years of economic hardship for the United States.
The theme was the optimistic ‘A Century of Progress’ and the World’s Fair was a huge success, drawing over 39 million visitors to the Chicago lakeshore during its two seasons in 1933-34.
The Century Grill served standard American fare, with meats supplied by Swift's Fine Foods. Presumably, these three cheerful chefs carrying a platter of ham and bacon were working hard behind the scenes of the busy restaurant.
The meat company was started by Gustavus Franklin Swift (1839–1903), ninth in a family of 22 children, who became a butcher in his teens.
He went on to establish a business in the Windy City in 1875 and revolutionized the meat-packing industry by developing and patenting the first ice-cooled refrigerated railroad cars.
This technological innovation enabled his company to deliver fresh meat from meat packing centers in the Midwest to large urban markets in the Northeast. Prior to his invention, livestock were slaughtered, packed for shipment in barrels of salt or transported live.
During the severe 1930s economic downturn, Swift’s heavily marketed its cheaper pork products to appeal to customers with tight household budgets.It advertised optimistic health slogans like ‘Eat Meat for Stamina’ to pitch protein – including early canned ham variations - as an essential, strength-giving and vital nutrient for the body.
Swift & Company grew into a massive global enterprise and remains one of America’s giant meatpacking companies today.
The 1934 Chicago World’s Fair provided a massive morale boost to citizens of the Windy City and helped boost local employment. Outside of the food offering, it popularized streamlined Art Deco design and futuristic concepts like the ‘Homes of Tomorrow’ that featured futuristic model homes designed to test new building materials, prefabricated construction. It also predicted modern conveniences like central air conditioning and dishwashers.
The fair relied on bonds, ticket sales, and vendor rentals rather than public money and the two-year run ended with a healthy financial surplus.
The only 1934 World's Fair building that remains in its original spot is the city’s Palace of Fine Arts. It was built with a steel and brick structure rather than temporary plaster, allowing it to survive. It now houses Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.
Each order includes a print of the interior menu.
All printed in USA.
