Postcard:Albright Art Gallery

In 1901 residents of Buffalo, New York, hosted the Pan-American Exposition, a celebration of the nation's achievements and hopes for the future. Officials selected Buffalo-the eighth largest city in the United States at the time-for its extensive railroad connections. Forty million Americans and Canadians lived within a day's journey of the exposition. Once at the fair, patrons explored an eclectic array of architecture, industrial exhibits, and attractions honoring cultures from all over the world. At the Midway, visitors enjoyed the culinary delights of Africa, Japan, and Mexico-cuisines many considered new and quite exotic.