A temporary utopia

In 1893, the Chicago World's Fair was held. Lined with white neoclassical buildings, its majestic appearance shone brilliantly even at night thanks to the power of electricity, which was not widely used at the time. People praised this ideal city and called it the "White City."

The first Great Exhibition, held in London in 1851, was a major project that demonstrated the host country's national power and vision for the future both at home and abroad.

The Chicago World's Fair showcased America's exceptional status, linking it to the development of science and technology as it rose to the pinnacle of global prominence in just 100 years. It could be said that this fair defined "Americanism" with its own hands, a concept that continues to this day.

The plan followed the style established at the previous Philadelphia World's Fair, with multiple buildings arranged around a central garden. Its area covered an area of ​​2.78 km². Considering that the first Paris World's Fair was 0.3 km², and even the second Paris World's Fair, held seven years after the Chicago World's Fair, was only 1.36 km², it's easy to see how vast its scale was.

As mentioned above, the cityscape, inspired by the styles of ancient Greece and Rome and lit brilliantly by electricity day and night, earned it the nickname "White City." While the buildings were in fact merely plasterworks, the Chicago World's Fair's construction, which was designed with a strong focus on surpassing European designs in terms of aesthetics, technology, and scale, ignited a frenzy among the public. It was also well received by architects and would have a major influence on future American urban planning.

In addition to the White City, the Chicago World's Fair also featured an entertainment district called Midway Plaisance, something not seen at previous fairs. This was similar to what we now call an amusement park, and met the needs of the public, who were becoming more affluent and had more time for leisure and entertainment.

In addition to amusement park-style attractions and shows such as a Ferris wheel, there were countless spectacles that allowed visitors to experience the cultures and customs of the world, including recreations of cityscapes from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Midway Plaisance was built adjacent to the White City, and its layout was such that the entrance was for the most barbaric, "uncivilized" peoples, and closer to the White City were facilities for the "more civilized" European peoples.

In other words, the picture presented was one in which America, chosen by God and which had taken the world by storm in just 100 years, would take the lead in subduing Europe, enlightening the barbaric Third World, and promoting global solidarity.

It goes without saying what the "white" in White City referred to, but it was an American interpretation of the way the powerful nations of the time operated, namely imperialism, and was promoted to the American people.

Fruit gum, hamburgers, soda, the mail system, built-in kitchens, walking sidewalks: it was at the Chicago World's Fair that people were first introduced to the elements that make up what we imagine to be the American lifestyle.

Some may be reminded of Disneyland, seeing all kinds of culture, art, science, and ideas from around the world on display, linked to America, its ideology, and futurism.

Interestingly, Walt Disney's father was involved in the construction of the Chicago World's Fair, and Disneyland is in fact a permanent World's Fair.

Walt exhibited four pavilions at the 1964 New York World's Fair, and the famous "It's a Small World" was originally a relocated exhibit from that time.

Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California in 1955. In his opening speech, Walt said:

"All are welcome to this happy place.
Disneyland is your place.
Adults come here to relive fond memories of the past.
Here, children can experience the challenges and hopes of the future.
Disneyland was dedicated to the ideals, dreams, and hard facts that made America what it is.
We hope this place will be a source of joy and inspiration for people all over the world."

At Disneyland, the imperial grandeur of America's World's Fair is a thing of the past, and the ghosts of dim ideology occasionally appear, a makeshift utopia driven by dreams of the past.

In other words, the world we have consumed over and over again is nothing more than a future that will never come, celebrated by intellectual curiosity and primal enthusiasm.