A 1938 Children's Book as Propaganda for the 1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939 New York World's Fair, known as The World of Tomorrow, stands out as a hallmark of aggressive branding during the 20th century, crafted in response to the Great Depression. In 2020, Steven Heller remarked on its role in restoring faith in American capitalism through an entertainment spectacle filled with souvenirs. Complementing this event, the children's book "Johnny's So Long at the Fair," published by Maxwell M. Geffen and designed by Märta in 1938, draws inspiration from the nursery rhyme "Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?". Heller views the book as a tool to foster consumerism among children.
Key facts
- The 1939 New York World's Fair (The World of Tomorrow) is considered one of the 20th century's most aggressively branded peacetime marketing events.
- The fair was a corporate-sponsored, designer-conceived response to the Great Depression.
- Steven Heller described the fair in 2020 as restoring trust in American capitalism and being an entertainment extravaganza with souvenirs.
- The children's book 'Johnny's So Long at the Fair' was published in 1938.
- The book was published by Maxwell M. Geffen and designed by Märta.
- The book is based on the traditional English nursery rhyme 'Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?'
- Geffen's estate held ownership of the lyric until 1988.
- Heller interprets the book as propaganda designed to turn children into drivers of 20th-century branded commerce.
Entities
Artists
- Steven Heller
- Maxwell M. Geffen
- Märta
Institutions
- 1939 New York World's Fair
Locations
- New York
- United States