In part, it has to do with the nature of World’s Fairs in general. From the 1851 Great Exhibition in London to the 1933 Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago, these ambitious international gatherings, which took place every few years in a different location, celebrated trade and technological advances, highlighting the new and novel. In an era before mass communication and jet travel, they brought the wonders of the world to a single spot to delight and inspire millions of attendees. It seems only natural that people would link these memorable events to innovation and novelty.
But there was something special about the 1904 World’s Fair. It took place at an important historical turning point in American food culture. While there may not be conclusive evidence that any single food item was invented from scratch on the fairgrounds, American foodways were undergoing a radical transformation. The real legacy of the fair is that, for a few brief months in a single place, it captured an entire culture of eating that was being remade for the modern world.
