Denvention
The third Worldcon, and first in Denver, Denvention was held July 4–6, 1941, at the Shirley-Savoy Hotel in Denver, Colorado. (According to Fancyclopedia 1’s Space warp entry, the hotel was mounted on a turntable “so that you can start near the hotel, walk blocks and blocks, and still be near the hotel.”)
GoH: Robert A. Heinlein. The chairman was Olon F. Wiggins, and Lew Martin was most of the rest of the con committee. The pre-convention publication was the 4-issue CFS Review. The Denventioneer combozine featured eight fanzines.
Denver won the right to host the 1941 Worldcon at Chicon I, apparently over a bid by fans from New York. See Erle Korshak's Putting My Two Cents In and 1941 Worldcon Site Selection.
Fantasy Times reported in October 1941 that attendance was estimated to be about 100 of which 68 actually registered. Fans attended from 28 states, including Forrest J Ackerman, Morojo, E. E. Evans, Art Widner, Robert Heinlein, Leslyn Heinlein, Erle Korshak, Bill Deutsch, Walt Daugherty, Cyril Kornbluth, Robert Lowndes, Milt Rothman, Olon F. Wiggins, Lew Martin, Edmond Hamilton, Gus Willmorth, Julius Unger, and D. B. Thompson.
The proceedings were recorded on 65 phonograph records by Daugherty. There was a combozine, The Denventioneer.
Denvention Medals were given to:
- Forry Ackerman for Best Fan and being of most service to Fandom
- Roy Hunt for Best Fan Artist
- Olon Wiggins for Best and Most Consistent Fan Mag
- Damon Knight for Top Humorist
- Julie Unger for Best News-weekly
An additional "Difficulty Prize" of $25 was awarded to Allen Class as the attendee who overcame the greatest obstacles in order to be there; he had hitchhiked from Ohio to Denver! Since F. Orlin Tremaine could no longer afford to pay the prize money, Robert A. Heinlein graciously donated it.
At the costume ball, Forrest J Ackerman wore a mask designed by the young fan Ray Harryhausen, Damon Knight dressed as a junior G-man, Cyril Kornbluth was a mad scientist, and Heinlein as Adam Stink, the world's most life-like robot.
Original Hannes Bok illustrations sold for $9, and Virgil Finlay covers went as high as $20.
The 1942 Worldcon Site Selection, according to Rusty Hevelin's Denvention con report:
At the Denvention bids to host the 1942 Worldcon were presented for San Francisco by Joe Fortier, Washington, DC by Milton Rothman, Philadelphia by Robert A. Madle, Los Angeles by Walter Daugherty.
Los Angeles won but the con wasn’t held until 1946 due to WWII.
More Information[edit]
- Denvention I publications and photos on fanac.org.
- List of Denvention Members.
- Forrest J Ackerman's Denvention I Reminiscence.
- Con report by Dick Schultz.
- Con report by T. Bruce Yerke.
- Con report by Rustebar.
| From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959 |
| from Convention DenVention was presented 4-6 July in Denver Colorado, by the Colorado Fantasy Society. Guest of Honor Heinlein made an outstanding speech. Also worthy of remark was the travelling that fans did to get there; the Widneride, riding the rods, making the trip on a starvation shoestring, etc. The award offered for the fan overcoming the greatest difficulties to attend was deserved by many. |
| From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944 |
| (Wollheim) - The Denver Convention of 1941. |
| Chicon | Worldcon - Bidding - Hugos | Pacificon |
| first | Denver Worldcons | Denvention Two |
| 1941 |
| This is a convention page. Please extend it by adding information about the convention, including dates, GoHs, convention chairman, locale, sponsoring organization, external links to convention pages, awards given, the program, notable events, anecdotes, pictures, scans of publications, pictures of T-shirts, con reports, etc. |
