This girl’s dress and matching parasol are made from cotton fabric printed especially for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Playful images represent kid-friendly sites, such as Washington Bridge, Central Park, the Battery and the Empire State Building, as well as more generic urban features: The Zoo, The Hurdy Gurdy, The Playground, Flower Cart, The Bus, and The Station. A much-loved dress, it was later altered for a growing girl.

The cheerful pattern expresses the optimism of the 1939 World’s Fair, with its theme “Building the World of Tomorrow,” as North America was recovering from economic crisis and on the cusp of entering WWII. As a fair souvenir, the dress and parasol set is also a modern example of the use of printed sartorial fabric for promotional purposes.