The Wonders of the World, Circa 1938

At a charity book sale last year I found this great little book from 1938, for the princely sum of one dollar (Canadian):

Wonders of the World! In 1938, the Wonders of the World included all the usual suspects like the pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge and the Colossus of Rhodes. All the ones that still existed at the time are represented by lovely black and white photographs; those that didn't are depicted in illustrations.

But in 1938, the wonders of the world included much more than just the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World. They also included more recently-discovered (to Europeans) natural Wonders like Carlsbad Caverns, Old Faithful, and Yosemite Falls.

And they included technological and architectural Wonders, like the Empire State Building:

The New York skyline is also a Wonder, as are the Queen Mary, Boulder Dam, the George Washington Bridge, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Transportation, too, could be a Wonder. Shining examples include Modern Streamlined Trains:

And the China Clipper:

The enthusiasm for technology and greater things to come in the future that's expressed in the book is infectious. I find flipping through it delightful, and it makes an interesting document of what people thought of the world in the 30s.