Pageant of the States

A lovely pictorial overview of pre-WWII America.

“The theme of the book – the epic story of the various American states – merits the deepest study, indeed. In these pages are the basic materials for the moving chronicle, but such is the skill of the author and the artist, that the reader succumbs to the sheer enjoyment of it long before he realizes how many new things and important things he is discovering.” – Preface.

This celebration of America’s democracy, history, and industry was published in conjunction with the 1939 New York World’s Fair. An assortment of colorful pictorial maps captures the high points of each of the 48 states, with accompanying illustrations presenting idyllic scenes of soaring architecture, abundant leisure, natural beauty, and cultural heritage. Opposite each geographic outline is a brief description of the state in question, providing curated information on the course of America’s progress and development.

The work, ‘Officially Approved by the New York World’s Fair’, was authored by Dr. Ernest Sutherland Bates and Dr. Herman Schiff and copyrighted in 1938. The maps were illustrated by Norman Reeves. Published in New York by Random House.