“Prelude to a Century” takes a fresh look at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair

It’s been 120 years since millions of visitors made their way to St. Louis to experience the wonders of the young century. As they wandered among the palaces constructed for the 1904 World’s Fair, the crowds had the chance to take in new technology, groundbreaking art, and demonstrations from around the world. Among the sights, however, were also dehumanizing displays that treated Indigenous peoples as zoo attractions, as well as other symbols of the era’s prejudices.

In Prelude to a Century: The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, out March 30 from Reedy Press, local author Patrick Murphy captures all of this and more through the stories of people who were there. Murphy is a prolific chronicler of St. Louis’ past, having previously published Places to Pray: Holy Sites in Catholic Missouri, The Irish in St. Louis: From Shanty to Lace Curtain, and Candy Men: The Story of Switzer’s Licorice with Reedy Press. This new coffee-table book, which includes dozens of historic images alongside masterly storytelling, has been called the local publisher’s “crown jewel of the year.”

The Missouri History Museum will unveil its revamped 1904 World’s Fair exhibit in April, and Prelude to a Century makes an ideal companion piece for those looking to recall—and reexamine—the story and legacy of St. Louis’ World’s Fair. Preorders are open now at reedypress.com, with books slated to be shipped April 1.