{"product_id":"chicago-worlds-fair-travel-poster-by-weimer-pursell-1934","title":"Chicago World's Fair Travel Poster by Weimer Pursell, 1934","description":"\u003cp\u003eWeimer Pursell’s \u003cem\u003eWorld’s fair – Chicago – 1934\u003c\/em\u003e turns the Century of Progress exposition into a brilliant vertical panorama of architecture, water and human activity. A slender white tower rises through the centre, its sharply ruled structure set against an expansive blue sky, while orange and yellow buildings gather around its base. Below, crowds in vividly patterned clothing and a small boat animate the fairground, giving the streamlined composition both scale and movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCreated to promote the Chicago exposition as a destination, the poster belongs to an interwar culture fascinated by industry, spectacle and modern design. Pursell brought considerable commercial experience to the commission: Tennessee-born, he moved to Chicago in the late 1920s, trained at the Art Institute of Chicago and worked as both a billboard artist and magazine illustrator. Those disciplines meet here in an image designed to be understood at once, yet rich enough to reward a longer look. Its Art Deco geometry and emphatic colour present the fair not simply as an exhibition, but as a persuasive vision of the modern city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition is organised around the central tower, whose pale surfaces form a decisive contrast with the saturated sky. Its narrow, upward thrust is echoed by smaller verticals across the fairground, although the surrounding architecture is more varied: block-like modern structures sit beside a darker, Gothic-inflected building on the left. This juxtaposition of architectural languages contributes to the fair’s theatrical character, as though different places and periods have been assembled within a single view.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the bottom, the monumental scale gives way to a lively frieze of visitors. Dresses in orange, yellow, blue and green create small bursts of pattern, while the figures’ reduced forms keep the scene legible rather than crowded. A strip of water provides a cool horizontal counterweight to the tower; rippled marks and the passing boat introduce motion into an otherwise crisply constructed design. Above, lightly stylised clouds soften the broad field of blue without disturbing its sense of openness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTypography completes the visual hierarchy. The dark-blue words “WORLD’S FAIR CHICAGO” command the upper portion, their substantial serif letterforms holding their own against the architecture below. Near the base, the yellow message “Tour the World at the Fair See Fifteen Foreign Villages” shifts from declaration to invitation. Its wording reveals how the exposition was marketed: not only as a showcase of progress, but as an opportunity to encounter an entertaining, condensed vision of the wider world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChicago’s Century of Progress exposition celebrated innovation, industry and contemporary design at a moment when optimism carried particular force. Pursell’s poster translates those themes into graphic terms: simplified silhouettes, flattened areas of colour and strong contrasts between cool blue and warm orange-yellow. The fair appears bright, ordered and forward-looking, with the central structure functioning as both an architectural feature and a visual emblem of ascent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes Pursell’s design especially effective is its balance of monumentality and pleasure. The tower promises technological ambition; the crowds, water and decorative buildings promise leisure and discovery. Together they preserve the promotional language of the 1934 fair while offering a vivid example of how Art Deco design could turn architecture, lettering and colour into an image of civic confidence.\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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/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":68178461557127,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":68178461589895,"sku":null,"price":82.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":68178461622663,"sku":null,"price":96.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":68178461655431,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":68178461688199,"sku":null,"price":143.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed 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