Dr. Cheryl R. Ganz is the chief curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Dr. Ganz recently published The 1933 Chicago World's Fair
in which the author offers the stories of fair planners and participants who showcased education, industry, and entertainment to sell optimism during the Great Depression, in an engaging history of the 1933 Chicago world's fair that also features more than eighty period photographs and ephemera. In the following interview, we talk about her World's Fair book.
ephemera: How did you become interested in the World's Fair?
Dr. Ganz: When I was a child, my grandparents had a plastic souvenir Havoline thermometer from the fair in their living room. They and my father told stories of their trips to the fair as highlight experiences of the Great Depression.
ephemera: How did your interest turn into a book project?
Dr. Ganz: My interest developed around the Graf Zeppelin flight to Chicago for the world's fair and the postage stamp issued to offset operating costs of the Zeppelin Company. When I began graduate school, the larger project seemed a natural. No single volume history of the 1933 fair had been written although many books existed about the 1893 fair.
ephemera: Tell me about the book. What challenges or obstacles do you encounter in writing it? How do you overcome these challenges?
Dr. Ganz: While the University of Illinois at Chicago's special collections library holds the organizational papers of the fair, I needed to visit over thirty libraries and archives to find all the pieces of the puzzle to put together the stories. As a result, I spent over ten years researching and writing this book. The greatest challenge to such a project is to not lose interest. Fortunately, this project had so many wonderful aspects to it, that it sustained and invigorated my passion for the topic. Finally, I created my own archive of postcards, brochures, and publications. Ephemera was crucial to understanding the larger picture.
ephemera: Who is the audience for the book? What will they discover by reading it?
Dr. Ganz: I wrote this book for the educated reader. It should appeal to scholars of world's fairs, the Great Depression, 20th century history, gender history, immigration history, urban history, and the history of technology. At the same time, those who enjoy Chicago history and its intrigues will find plenty to enjoy. Collectors of world's fair memorabilia and ephemera will also find plenty of information. Finally, there is still a sizable population of Americans who visited the fair in their youth. I hope the book brings back wonderful memories for them.
ephemera: What are your favorite items in the book? What do they tell us about the history of the World's Fair?
Dr. Ganz: I actually do not have a favorite chapter or item. I really had fun researching and writing about all the personalities and projects. Certainly, Sally Rand has a great story. She was the rags to riches showgirl--entrepreneurial as well as a good businesswoman. I was so excited when I first viewed her "Sally Rand Bubble Dance" in a Tru-Vue viewer. This fair souvenir not only took home a memorable moment but continued to promote the hope and optimism that the entire fair showcased.
ephemera: Thank you, Dr. Ganz.
