If that weren't enough, come nightfall they could mosey over to the Streets of Paris designed with stone-paved streets and sidewalk cafes. Its famous attraction was the risque fan dancer Sally Rand. Local churches fretted, but the fair organizers let her dance. The buildings came down and the displays were dispersed. The memories and the memorabilia, however, lived on.
Today there's a wide variety of wonderful souvenirs commemorating the fair.
A replica of Fort Dearborn in 1833 was erected early in an effort to generate both funds and enthusiasm before the fair opened. The spoons seen here commemorate buildings from the fair grounds including the Fort Dearborn replica, Science Court and the Travel and Transport building. But there are plenty of less expensive items, too, from pennants to programs to postcards. More than just memories of a city's progress, memorabilia from the Chicago World's Fair capture a time less jaded when folks could still be amazed by a ride on a cable car 219 feet above the city, the sight of a scantily clad dancer and the flickering image on a TV set. We can thank the pessimistic organizers of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair for the wonder quilts commemorating the event.