1933 World's Fair World Champion Log Rollers

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The Century of Progress Exposition (also known as the World's Fair) of 1933 was a celebration of technological innovation. There were many exhibits that urged Americans to spend money to modernize their homes and cars. One exhibit was George Keck's House of Tomorrow, which predicted the rise of dishwashers and air conditioning in most American homes. The fair proved to be powerful in getting Americans to spend their money during the Great Depression that President Franklin D. Rossevelt pushed for the fair to be reopened in 1934.

One of the many events held during the exposition was the logrolling competition, where two competitors attempt to stay on a rolling log while getting their opponent to lose their balance. In the 1920s and 1930s, log rolling was popular as a spectator sport. A group of log rollers headed by Jimmy Murray toured the country, attending state and county fairs, exhibiting their skills to the public through trick and fancy log rolling. The 1933 world champion of log rolling, Wilber Marx, was featured in a popular news reel of the time, and he gained national popularity.  This group of log rollers would have been the featured performers at the 1933 World’s Fair log rolling exhibition.