The World's Greatest Fair

seriously marred by politically correct liberal propaganda.

What a fascinating visual story accompanied by period music to bring to life the 1904 St Louis Word's Fair at the beginning of a new century! Growing up in the 1950s, I heard my grandmother tell about the trip she and her sisters made with their father on the train from Indiana to visit the 1904 Fair in St Louis. It made quite an impression on them that was lifelong. I myself had worked on the Washington University campus during the 1980s but little was left of the Fair to appreciate then. The DVD program does a wonderful job of bringing to life the 1904 Fair in the context of earlier Fairs at the end of the 19th Century and how it was a great influence to developments in the new 20th Century. I can now appreciate how the huge St Louis "Ivory City" of 1904 outdid Chicago's gleaming "White City" of 1893 (which I had previously thought was the greatest). I can also now appreciate how much of 20th and 21st Century American culture was popularized at St Louis but not invented there (such as the ice cream cone, hot dog, iced tea, Dr Pepper, etc.). To understand where we are going in the future, we need to understand where we came from in the past. This DVD truly shows a juncture of technology, art, music, entertainment, and a never attempted before mix of world cultures that changed the world. forever.

Amazing recollection of a world class event unlike any other. I watched this and talked about it for days before watching it all over again. I feel so much nostalgia for a time of so much curiosity and renaissance. This documentary was truly inspiring and we'll put together.

One of the most important messages is tucked too deeply into the documentary at aroudn 1 hr 15 mins. It is about racism and the juxtaposition of people of other lands as a kind of evidence of evolution showcasing these "savages and primitives" as lesser forms of man against the more intelligent and refined white race. It is fascinating how evolution was used as a logical and rational justification for the maltreatment of other races by the white populace at that time.

History is more than a collection of facts about the past. It involves analyzing factual information to determine the relative significance and meaning of different facts. Unfortunately, this documentary is nothing more than than a collection of more or less random facts. It makes the point that the fair attracted a lot of interest and attention and seemed really important to a lot of people, but it does not really explain why. In the end, it seems nothing more than a cavalcade of anecdotes without a larger meaning.

A celebration of American prowess and self-love, an easy-to-watch digest of "American Exceptionalism" without testing any social issues of the day. It does includes some poorly researched "facts" like the oddly popular notion that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, so this program is best watched on the 4th of July. Enjoyable but far from memorable.

Loved this documentary and learned so much. I had to watch it twice to absorb it all. Well produced with so many old photos and interspersed with contemporary commentary about various aspects of the Fair, all organized into categories which made it easy to follow. This is a wondeRful resource for study of the Fair as the important cultural event that it was. I have loaned it out to many friends who have enjoyed it equally as well!

Interesting movie about the 1904 worlds fair in St Louis. Having grown up and lived in St Louis it probably means more than if you are not from here.