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• Century of Progess Exposition 1933

Century of Progess Exposition 1933 - Philatelic History

The Century of Progress Exposition held in Chicago in 1933, highlighted the golden age of stamp collecting. This important philatelic event marked the 10th anniversary of the founding of Chicago at Fort Dearborn. The 1-cent Scott #728 Fort Dearborn issue commemorates the occasion.

A 3-cent stamp Scot #729 features the new art deco Federal Building in Chicago, as a statement of the new era of progress. The occasion of the fair found the country, and the world, mired in the malaise of the Great Depression.

The Century of Progress offered a positive vision of the future. A better future driven by innovation in science and technology. The motto of the fair was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Adapts", advancing the positive message that science and American life were the future.

One major event in the annals pf philately, marking progress in aviation, was the presence of the Graf Zepplin in the sky over Lake Superior.

This event was commemorated with the issue of U.S. #C18, the 50c 'Baby Zeppelin' air mail stamp, noting ‘A Century of Progress Flight’.

Another philatelic event at the fair was the issuing of souvenir sheets with the 1-cent Fort Dearborn stamp and the 3-cent Federal Building, but in imperforate format without gum. The sheets of 25 stamps each marked the

The stamps were reissued on August 25 in imperforate souvenir-sheet form without gum to mark the convention of the American Philatelic Society, held at the fair.

The Chicago Century of Progress Exposition of 1933 was an overwhelming success, with 40 million visitors. All told, the Chicago World's Fair, or Century of Progress Exposition, marked an exciting time for stamp collectors and we still enjoy the issues of that era in our collections today.