City of Tomorrow
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"Here in these halls of science
Here in these towers of art
We have built the true defiance
And girded the nation's heart.
Not with enduring stone
Or muscles that twist with pain
But with fires that burn
A vision in the brain
A tri-colored flag was cut
For us with subtle sheers.
No doors we open can shut
In a hundred thousand years."
- Helene Margaret, Tomorrow America
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Overview
We
witness a retreat from the romantic ideal of public life. The
Depression and impending war has shaken American notions of community
to their core. Arcadian promises of open vistas and peaceful concord
between self and society are bypassed as corporate and government
planners focus the nation's attention to the future. Doubts about our
ability to construct a better world are silenced; they must be, if the
nation can face the adversaries of self-doubt within and
totalitarianism abroad. Toward that end, we explore how fantasy themes
of the good life chain themselves out in the form of postcards,
pennants, and photographs from the "world of tomorrow."
Video
The Astounding World of the Future [Scott Dikkers]
Dialogue
Dr. Wood's Additional Resources
Even More Resources
Image Credit
New York World's Fair Postcard: Curt Teich & Co. [image from Andrew Wood collection]
