The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-27
SHOW HAS HAD
GREAT GROWTH
IN TEN YEARS
Modest Start Made in 1922;
Exposition Now Is on
Lavish Scale.

! EuSt uUlIlE SllOM III 41lQldl1dDOllS
was held in 1922, when a few men
concerned with developing interest
in home ownership arranged an
exhibit of building and manufacture
ing concerns in the Manufacturers
building at the fairgrounds.
Patterning after the ancient
guilds, which pooled their interests
and brought all their products to
one place for display and disposal,
they planned to exhibit only the
materials which would go into a
complete, modern home.
AS their plans developed, they de-
cided to include an example of the
finished product. They took a dar-
ing step and built complete little
home right in the middle of the
Manufacturers building. 1t was
small and unpretentious-a typical
American cottage-but it proved a
most effective centerpiece for the
show.
Interest Is Aroused
Interest in the new project was
widespread. Many buildings and
manufacturing concerns exhibited
their products in attractive booths.
More than $1,000 people visited the
show, and Mrs. P. G. Denny was
awarded the little model house,
completely furnished, for her five
reasons for owning ones home in
Indianapolis"
The first show, directed by j.
Frank Cantwell, had 145 exhibits,
and covered $4,000 square feet. 1t
was considered successful enough
to warrant making the Home Com
plete Exposition an annual affair.
In 1923 the show again was in
the Manufacturers building, and
had increased in every respect. The
house, an English type, was larger
and more elaborate, the attendance
increased about 10000, and many
new exhibitors displayed their
products along with those who had
exhibited the previous year.
Million Dollar Show in 1924
The third show, in 1924, was
known as "the million dollar show"
The centerpiece was an attractive
Mediterranean studio type house,
surrounded by an exhibit covering
$4,000 square feet, viewed by 10000
people.
The 1925 exposition featured the
house that budget built-a modern
replica of French chateau. Ex-
hibits covered 10000 square feet, and
more than $4,000 visitors attended.
Each year the show has increased
considerably in size. The houses
have become more pretentious, the
number of exhibitors has increased,
and about 10000 more people have
visited the show annually. In 1926
the exhibits covered $4,000 square
feet, and were grouped around a
model home of Spanish architecture.
The 1927 show, which 100000 people
viewed, was built around a French
rural home.
On Ambitious Scale
The 1923 model home, an Amer
lean modernized colonial, the larg-
est house ever erected in the Manu-
facturers' building, was Sixty-four
feet wide and so high it was neces-
Sary to cut holes in the roof to per-
NIT passage of the steel beams sup
porting the roof of the building.
Another innovation was the lay
ing off space of a full city lot sur
the house for landScaping.
AS the shows progressed, they be-
came virtually clearing house for
building and furnishing ideas. In
1929 there were 1876 exhibits and a
house of English studio type.
The 1880 show covered a larger
and centered around an
early American house. Last years
show, containing 200 exhibits, dis
played a model home of German
town Colonial design.
This years show will be the cpl
tome of all previous exhibits. 1t
will contain all the noteworthy fea-
lures of the first ten shows, in addi-
ton to many important innova-
tons.
The house will not be erected as
the centerpiece of the show this
year For the first time in the his
tory of the home show, the model
home has been built on it's perma-
nent location, 5240 Cornelius avenue.
The space in the pit of the Manu-
facturer's building which it for
merly occupied will be filled with
formal and informal gardens.
Each year the model house has
been duplicated from three to f1f-
teen times. The 1880 model house
was duplicated twenty times-four
in Indianapolis, and the rest
throughout the state.