Chicago, Illinois, 1933–34 The Century of Progress International Exposition, held in Chicago in 1933–34, played a pivotal yet often underrecognized role in the development and acceptance of modern architecture. The event was the largest architectural program realized in the United States during the depths of the Great Depression. It attracted the attention of influential architects and designers as well as building materials manufacturers and design critics. The innovative exhibition pavilions introduced more than 38 million fair visitors to thencurrent progressive ideas in modern architecture. Millions more became acquainted with the modern exposition designs through secondary sources, including a wide range of articles, newsreels, and souvenirs. In 1928 a not-for-profit corporation was chartered to organize a world’s fair to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the founding of Chicago. The fair organizers quickly realized that this theme was too narrow to attract enough internatio...