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FAMILY SOUVENIRS & MEMORIES
The first part of this page consists of pictures of Jack Appel and Maryfrancis
Brennan (my parents) who worked at the fair, some of their souvenirs,
and some additional information I have found about the souvenir enamel
ashtrays. The second part of this page consists of memories of my uncle,
Frank Brennan, who was a young teenager living in Chicago at the time
of the fair.
Please email me if you have
memories of the fair that you would like to share.
![[lagoon patrol]](lagoon_1.jpg)
The Lagoon
Patrol--Jack
Appel is third from left in back row. Who are the other men?
![[lagoon boat]](lagoonJA.JPG)
Jack Appel
On the Lagoon—Government
Building in Background
![[MFB]](brennan.jpg)
Maryfrancis
Brennan—Brookhill Dairy
![[IMAGE]](ashtrays.jpg)
Ashtrays Made
for Maryfrancis Brennan and Jack Appel
Genuine Porcelain Enamel Fired on Metal
Get Your Own Ashtray
from the Official World's Fair Weekly June 17, 1933
The Enamel Parade, extending down one wall [on the second floor of the
General Exhibits Group called the Hall of Progress] and far down the
corridor to the east, represents a combined exhibit of thirty-eight firms
that make enamelware. Everything from ashtrays to refrigerators and back
to medical accessories is shown. In addition to actual examples of enameled
materials, the most modern method of applying enamel is shown, and you
can have an ashtray designed for you personally and watch the enamel
sprayed, painted, and baked on while you wait.
![[IMAGE]](lastmail.jpg)
Official
Closing Cover Signed by Inventor and Pilot of Adams Airmail Pickup
System
Uncle Frank Remembers the
Fair
I enjoyed the photos of your parents at the World’s Fair. I remember
the milking picture very well. It appeared in either the Chicago Daily
News or the Chicago Daily Tribune. Your mother also had another job at
the fair. It was packing meat in a room with other girls. I think it
was in the Armour building.
As a family we all went to the fair many times. Also in both 33 and
34 we hosted both the Brennan and Delaney relatives. I had a friend whose
uncle was an electrician for the Skyride. When I went with him, we got
to go on the Skyride for free. When I was at the fair, I usually had
cheese crackers and Coke to eat because they were cheap.
There were many special days like Freckle-Face days. I went to this
one with a boy in my class. Dermatologists counted the freckles. I think
that we needed 12 to get in. I also remember Boy Scout and ROTC days.
I think that in each case, after the parade, we were turned loose to
enjoy the fair.
One time I watched Johnny Weismuller swim rapidly over the lagoon theater
where your father worked. The lagoon theater also put on shows of diving,
including clown diving.
I remember seeing Ed Wynn, who was the Texaco Fire Chief on radio. Another
time, when entering an exhibit, I was behind Frank Buck who also had
a fair exhibit (probably called “Bring Em Back Alive” as he had at least
one film shot in Africa with that name). He looked like a great white
hunter with his pith helmet.
Another time, Jack Johnson, a notable black boxer with a coterie walked
only about 20 feet behind me. If my memory is reasonably good, he was
world heavyweight champion, and was beaten by a famous white boxer whose
name I can’t remember.
As fair visitors and kids, we picked up all the product brochures we
could carry. My brochures were in the old basement "sideboard," which
we used as a toolbox. They were probably still there when I moved to
California in 1951. I had a nice collection of little trinkets that I
left in the chifferobe of my room. The trinkets consisted of a stamped
copper ashtray from the Ford pavilion and other things like arrowheads,
a 6 inch little geisha girl carved from bamboo, and pennies run over
by trains like the Royal Scot which were on display. I also had a small
piece of shatterproof glass produced by a small glass factory in one
of the displays.
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