[Chicago World's Fair] Photo Album including journey to the fair in Igor Sikorsky’s seaplane.

Igor Ivan SIKORSKY (1889-1972). - George BUIVID (1917-1966, compiler).

An album of photographs, personal and commercial, and related postcards, recalling the trip of a lifetime for teenager George Buivid: a visit to the World’s Fair in July 1933, arriving by air in Igor Sikorsky’s seaplane. Large oblong quarto (7 1/2 x 12 inches; 190 x 305mm). 68 snapshot photographs (circa 2 ½ x 3 ½ inches), 25 small format machine-print photographs (circa 1 ¾ x 2 ¾ inches), 39 related postcards (most from the ‘Western Photogravure Co., of Chicago), and a couple of related cuttings, including one from the Chicago Daily Tribune, July 6, 1933, titled ‘Famous Airplane Designer flies to closing events of the Air Races’. (Most items inserted using ‘photo corners’, but some tipped in with glue; light surface damage to two postcards). Laced photo album with faux leather textured board covers. Provenance: Buivid Family (by descent).

George Buivid, 15-years old at the time when he visited the World’s Fair, went on to have a career in engineering but died aged 48 in 1966 – his father Michael [or Michel] D. Buivid (d.1962), was a childhood friend of Igor Sikorsky and worked with him as a designer and engineer on both the fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. This fascinaing album signposts the inspirational nature of the World’s Fairs: a teenager visits the fair, sees a whole series versions of what the technology of the future could look like and decides that he wants to be one of those who helps to build it.