Retro Futurism

The Great Depression wasn’t all the harsh cynicism of “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” It was also “Pennies from Heaven,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” and “Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee.” Those three pieces of popular music acknowledged that yes, times were tough, but they would get better. That type of “we’ll get through this” optimism seemed to be a national mantra in those days and it extended to brightly colored, cheerful products like Fiestaware dishes; extravagant, exuberant films like the musical comedy

Gold Diggers of 1933; and, of course, automobile designs that were increasingly swoopy and stylish.

The Century of Progress International Exposition, better known as the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933-’34, was a showcase for everything good the machine age had to offer, including the slick aesthetics of modern design as it transitioned from the Art Deco style of the 1920s to Streamline Moderne. Among those exhibits were presentations from all the major auto manufacturers, and perhaps the most