A city blazing with electric light, a kitchen freed from endless scrubbing, and a beer crowned by a legend—this tour through the 1893 World’s Fair shows how everyday life got rewired. We kick off with the current war made simple: why Tesla’s alternating current, backed by Westinghouse, beat Edison’s direct current on safety, distance, and cost. From transformers to polyphase motors, we break down how AC scaled into real grids and how the White City spectacle wasn’t just theater—it was proof that power could reach everyone, not just a block at a time.

Then we head to a backyard shed in Illinois where Josephine Cochrane designed the automatic dishwasher that actually worked. Wire racks measured to fit dishes, a flat rotating wheel, and pressurized hot water turned drudgery into a repeatable process. We unpack why early sales targeted hotels and hospitals, how home plumbing and better detergents finally unlocked mass adoption, and what this reveals about design that respects both objects and the people who use them.

Finally, we crack open the Pabst Blue Ribbon story. Before the rebrand, Pabst Best Select already tied blue silk ribbons to bottles, and the fair’s national spotlight made that symbol iconic. The “America’s Best” contest came down to Pabst and Budweiser, and history muddied the verdict—one judge, one reversal, many headlines. The result? A masterclass in branding: turn a tangible cue into an identity, then scale it from pavilion to label. It’s a fun, messy reminder that technology wins on performance, products win on usability, and brands win on story.

If you love smart history with a wink and want more curious deep dives, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what fair-born invention do you swear by?