Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Poster for the New York World's Fair, 1939

Poster for the New York World's Fair
Alfred Staehle, 1939
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In London, in 1851, Prince Albert’s dream of an international exhibition of the arts and sciences came to life with “The Great Exhibition.”  From this monumental affair, the Victoria & Albert museum was born, first as the Museum of Manufactures, and, then, later as the South Kensington Museum before finally becoming the V&A in 1899—at the heart of Brompton’s “Albertopolis” section of museums.

As the V&A reminds us, the Great Exhibition started a world-wide, ever-lasting trend.  They say, “The exhibitions, expositions and world's fairs staged around the world since then have been spectacular, popular and influential. Unsurpassed in their scale and confidence, the expositions encompassed the very latest developments in art, science and technology from all nations of the world, displayed in a fabulous array of buildings and parks.”

This was especially evident in the New York World’s Fair of 1939.  Here, we see a dynamic design, by the fair’s designer, for the New York World’s Fair which perfectly demonstrates the sense of optimism and enjoyment by depicting a woman who is shown waving in front of the iconic structures of the fair--the Trylon and Perisphere.

Though opened during troubled times, the New York fair sought to portray a confident vision of the future.  The fair’s designer, Albert Staehle (1899-1974), was an illustrator  who was initially made famous via his American, “Elsie the Cow” advertisements for Borden's milk, and, later, the 'Smokey the Bear' character for the National Forest Service.