International Exhibits from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair 
(Italicized portions are exerpts from the Official Guide Book of Chicago's Century of Progress World's Fair)

Foreign Participation

The true international character of the Exposition is indicated by the dramatic and exotic displays from foreigh nations.  In response to the invitation of the United States many nations are participating officially while others are represented by some phase of their industrial, social, or cultural life.

This is an image of the Avenue of Flags,which displayedall of the flags of visiting countries and welcomed the World's Fair visitor to the International Exhibits. 

Colorful Italy

Symbolically prophetic of the flight of the 24 Italian planes, under command of General Balbo, leaving Rome in June for Chicago, Italy's building stands at the extreme southern end of the Avenue of Flags in the shape of a giant airplane.  With her 450 exhibits,, she will tell a dramatic story of her remarkable achievements in engineering, physics, medicine, geography, astronomy, agriculture, shipping, and aviation from the times of the Caesars to the present day.  The great engineering feat of draining the Ostian marshes and the reclamation of valuable land for agriculture and port development will be a part in these displays.           The Italian exhibit occupies space not only in the national pavilion, but have spread themselves into the upper left wing of the Hall of Schience, into the Adler Planetarium, and even overflow into the Museum of Science and Industry in Jackson Park.  After the conclusion of the Exposition, the Italian government has generously donated the entire display to the Rosenwald Museum.

 The British Empire

        On the railroad tracks near the Travel and Transport building, one of the world's most istinguished trains, the British "Royal Scot," will be shown.
        The Irish Free State has a prominent exhibit inside the same building where you will find a delightful display of fine linen, laces, cloth, rugs, and paintings by Irish artists.
        Within the Travel and Transport building Palestine is is represented by tourist displays.
        In the south third of the great hall of the Travel an Transport building will be foun the Canadian exhibit--a huge airplane view of the country, 130 feet in length, an below it a display of the products of Canaa, and an alluring travel story, told with dioramas and transparencies, picturing Canada's many unusual tourist attractions and her flora and fauna.  Included in this exhibit are large and accurate ship models of the Canadian Pacific, an Canadian National Steamship companies. 

The Chinese Village        

        At Sixteenth street just south of the Bendix Lama Temple you will see the replica of a walle village from China.  Occupying its own shrine, is a carved jade representation of a Chinese temple of seven stories, standing 50 inches high.  It took 18 years and a small army of artists to achieve this very beautiful work of art.  The exhibits themselves are a veritable treasure house of porcelain, lacquer wear, silks, embroideries, rugs, furs, carved ivories and furniture.        

        The Chinese silk industry will play an important part in the industrial section.  An exhibit of surpassin ginterest is that of specimens from the cave deposits near Peiping, where was found the Pekin man who lived 500,000 to a million years ago.  Interesting relics of the expedition which discovered the Pekin man will accompany this display.

        Entertainment is furnished by the finest troupe of acrobats that has ever left China and there will be dramatic interpretations by leading Chinese actors and actresses.

Japan Nearby

 
        Japan has brought over a typical example of her architecture--a two-story building immediately west of the Chinese village.  An army of workmen and engineers came over from Japan bringing their own tools and materials to construct the building.  Here are housed fine examples of Japanese china, cloisonne, embroideries, silk work and countless examples of the world-famous Japanese handicraft.
        A typical Japanese tea garden is one of the features of this unusual Oriental display.  The charming ceremony of tea drinking as practised in Japan is aded to by dainty Geisha girls with all the atmosphere and colour which only Nippon can give.  The process of making silk from the cocoon to the finished article is shown by experts in this industry.  The resulting development of the surrounding country, due to the construction of the South Manchurian railway, will represent the more serious industrial an engineering genius of the Japanese nation. 

Sweden

Sweden Shows Revived Industry         Near Sixteenth street, also, is the Swedish pavilion, with an unique architecture, "just two boxes," someone calle it, in which is displayed an exhibit of modern applied art and containing a marvelous collection of rugs, draperies, shawls, and upholstery cloths, and beautiful glassware from the famous factory at Orrefors.  This exhibit exemplifies a striking example of the revival of home industries under the lash of economic necessity.  The exhibits here will bring delight to those who are interested in the application of modern design to home decoration.

Moroccan Village


In the same area is the Moroccan village consisting of typical "Souk" or arcade of shops with muezzin's tower dominating the whole.  The streets are paraded by typical Moors in costume, while camels pad their way through this wonderful reproduction of Northern Africa.  All the color an allure of Morocco appears in the shops selling barbaric jewels, leather goods, carpets, rugs, camel cloths, and perfumes. 

Germany

A picture and a postcard of the German-American building

Belgium

Ukraine

France

Mayan Temple

Products from the Philippines