[Century of Progress Commemorative Bronze Medal]

This is an example of the Official Commemorative World’s Fair Medal, cast in bronze to immortalize the second World’s Fair held in Chicago. Known as the Century of Progress, the 1933-1934 event celebrated technological innovation and emphasized the city’s tremendous growth in the preceding 100 years. One side of the medal shows an art deco-style figure of a man standing astride a foundation dated 1833 and 1933, connecting the two ‘pillars’ of Research and Industry. The verso shows a simple outline of the fairgrounds at Jackson Park. Designed by Emil Robert Zettler and signed on both sides.