American College of Surgeons exhibit at Chicago World’s Fair 1933-1934

The "Century of Progress International Exposition," also known as The Chicago World’s Fair of 1933-34, was of great significance to Chicago and the United States. It introduced millions of people to Chicago’s newly created lakefront land near the Museum Campus and put them in contact with new inventions. It also foretold the rising influence that the automobile would have on city planning. The fair hinted at a future change in city design—particularly how buildings would relate to one another and how houses would address the street. Perhaps most importantly, the 1933-1934 World’s Fair gave people hope for the future during the Great Depression. Now, more than 90 years later, the site of the fair is a beautiful lakefront park and Art Deco is a celebrated architectural style.ⁱ

The three main themes of the Chicago World’s Fair were focused on the marvels of science, technology, and manufacturing.ⁱⁱ It was under the scientific theme that the American College of Surgeons was invited to provide an exhibit for the medical science program of the World’s Fair. Discussions with the Century of Progress Committee on Medicine started in 1931 with the College initially preparing eight potential exhibit ideas to discuss with the Committee on Medicine.ⁱⁱⁱ

In the end, the ACS presented a series of transparencies to illustrate a century of progress in the institutional care of the sick and the exhibit was arranged so the new methods were shown in relation to the corresponding old methods. The following points were stressed: the taking of the patient to the hospital, the taking of case histories, laboratory facilities, operative procedures including amputations and the setting of fractures, staff conferences, nursing, and dietary methods.^[iv]

Four dioramas illustrated the progress of surgery during the last century showing: the amputation of a leg before the days of antiseptics and anesthetics, the first demonstration of the use of an anesthetic on the removal of a tumor from the neck, an operation by Dr. Sims, a noted gynecologist (1830-1883), and a modern clinic held at Mercy Hospital in 1913 by Dr. John B Murphy.^[v]

A series of charts on cancer gave the facts pertaining to this disease: the problems confronting those who suspect they have it and those who do have cancer, its prevention, and a classification of those regions of the body especially susceptible to this disease. Another portion of the exhibit consisted of models showing the increase in the number of hospitals and hospital beds during the years 1873-1932.^[vi]

A series of lantern slides with synchronized sound projected the activities of the ACS: the minimum requirements for hospitals, industrial medicine, clinical laboratories, health inventories, cancer clinics, and some of the wonders of modern medicine such as immunity, anesthetics, antiseptics, organo-therapy, and knowledge of food values.[vii]

Finally, a replica of the Lister exhibit in the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, London, was displayed. This replica consisted of a diorama of the Lister Ward at the Glasgow Infirmary and was surrounded by photographs of Lister, his family, and the degrees he received. Six showcases contained replicas of the appliances used by him in his early experimental work on the coagulation of blood, germ theory of putrefaction, and the nature of fermentation. His pioneer work on Surgical antisepsis was portrayed by a collection of ligatures, sutures, gauze lint, dressings, drains, and other articles of historical interest.[viii]

*All photos are courtesy of the ACS Archives.

[i] https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/1933-1934-century-of-progress-exposition, accessed 3/6/25.

[ii] https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-and-education-magazines/worlds-fairs-1933-1939, accessed 3/6/25

[iii] ACS Board of Regents Meeting Minutes Volume 2, 1925 – 1936, p436

[iv] ACS Archives, RG4/SG10/S01/Series3/File25, Medical Science Exhibits, A Century of Progress, p56

[v] ACS Archives, RG4/SG10/S01/Series3/File25, Medical Science Exhibits, A Century of Progress, p56

[vi] ACS Archives, RG4/SG10/S01/Series3/File25, Medical Science Exhibits, A Century of Progress, p60

[vii] ACS Archives, RG4/SG10/S01/Series3/File25, Medical Science Exhibits, A Century of Progress, p60

[viii] ACS Archives, RG4/SG10/S01/Series3/File25, Medical Science Exhibits, A Century of Progress, p60