1933 WORLD'S FAIR Ft. DEARBON CHICAGO WALKING CANE

Updated September 24, 2026

AVAILABLE FOR SHIPPING or LOCAL PICKUP > A substantial 1933 Chicago World's Fair souvenir walking cane standing close to 36" tall, formed from a solid wood shaft measuring 3/4" in diameter near the crook handle and tapering gradually toward the tip. The cane is fashioned from smoothly finished hardwood with a full curved crook handle and fitted metal ferrule to the lower end. Applied near the upper shaft is a cast metal souvenir plaque in raised relief reading FORT DEARBORN ~ A CENTURY OF PROGRESS ~ CHICAGO ~ 1933, with a detailed depiction of the reconstructed Fort Dearborn complex surrounded by stylized Art Deco ornament. The Century of Progress International Exposition was Chicago's 1933-1934 World's Fair, staged to celebrate the city's centennial and emphasizing modern industry, science, transportation and architectural design. Fort Dearborn was one of the fair's important historical attractions, representing the early military outpost around which Chicago developed. Smithsonian collections preserve numerous Fort Dearborn souvenirs from the exposition, including spoons, puzzles, reverse-painted glass and other commemorative pieces carrying similar 1933 Century of Progress imagery. Walking canes and sticks were among the souvenirs sold to fair visitors, with surviving 1933 examples carrying Century of Progress plaques and other exposition motifs. The form provided both a functional walking stick and a prominent keepsake from one of America's major Depression-era World's Fairs. CONDITION REPORT > As discovered, not cleaned or altered. Substantial and solid overall. Metal cap to the lower tip is worn through in an area, exposing the wood beneath. Expect varying elements relative to age, limited use and materials.

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