1936 Great Lakes Exposition
Bronze Good Luck MedalCleveland Ohio
The Great Lakes Exposition (also known as the World Fair of 1936) was held in Cleveland, Ohio, in the summers of 1936 and 1937, along the Lake Erie shore north of downtown.
The fair commemorated the centennial of Cleveland's incorporation as a city.
Conceived as a way to energize a city hit hard by the Great Depression, it highlighted the progress that had been achieved in the Great Lakes region in the last 100 years and indicated the path for future progress.
Covering over 135 acres of Cleveland's lakefront, it featured numerous attractions: rides, sideshows, botanical gardens, cafes, art galleries, and much more. Similar to the Chicago World Fair, the exposition also wanted to expose visitors to other countries' cultures, celebrate American industry, and promote local businesses.
Although the Great Lakes Exposition was not as much of a world fair as the Chicago World Fair was, the exposition drew 4 million visitors in its first season, and 7 million by the end of its second and final season in September 1937.
The exposition also feature some exhibits that would be considered today as politically incorrect including 260 pound ballerinas, a midget circus, a recreation of old Southern plantation life, and nude cancan dancers, who were eventually banned.
There was also an exhibit with a death mask of John Doe II the "tattooed man".
A victim of The Cleveland Torso Murderer, found at Morgan Run, near E 55th Street, Cleveland, was estimated to be 20-23 years old, light complexion, reddish brown hair, chestnut colored eyes, stood 5 foot 10" or 11" tall, slender build, weighed 165 lb. He had six unusual tattoos on his body:
One included a bird and band and the names "Helen and Paul" were on the inner side of his left forearm, another tattoo on the outer side of his right forearm was a heart and anchor in red and blue, on the inner side was a flag and the initials "W.C.G."
A butterfly was tattooed on his left shoulder, a head of comic character "Jiggs" was tattooed on his left leg at the ankle, and "Cupid" was tattooed on his right leg at the ankle.
Despite morgue and death mask inspections by thousands of Cleveland citizens in the summer of 1936 at the Great Lakes Exposition, the victim known as the "tattooed man" was never identified.
The Cleveland Torso Murderer (also known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run) was an unidentified serial killer who was active in Cleveland, Ohio, United States in the 1930s. The killings were defined by the dismemberment of twelve known victims and the disposal of their remains in the impoverished neighborhood of Kingsbury Run.
Despite an investigation of the murders, which at one time was led by famed lawman and Cleveland's then-Public Safety Director Eliot Ness, the murderer was never apprehended.
An unused admission ticket I have for the Great Lakes Exposition Streets of the World
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Posted 12/28/2019 8:51 pm
Another neat medal there 999! I never saw any of those.
