"By the outbreak of World War II, the new modern architecture emerging in the Northwest was distinctive enough to be a recognizable trend. Rejecting historicism and embracing modern values yet bearing little influence of the imported International Style, regional modernism was regarded by many as the most appropriate direction for American architects to take. Interest in Regionalism had grown steadily throughout the late 1930's; by 1941 it was one of the leading topics in the architectural magazines. The Museum of Modern Art continued its promotion of local work with exhibitions covering regional art, wooden houses in America, and architects such as Alvar Aalto, whose humanistic Finnish variant of the International Style bore many parallels with indigenous efforts in the United States. In 1938, in a specific effort to encourage regional developments, MoMA's Department of Architecture under the direction of John McAndrew staged a travelling exhibition. "Three Centuries of American Architecture" aimed at celebrating regional differences and fostering an understanding of their roots throughout the country. After opening in Paris in 1938 the show travelled around the United States appearing in Portland in February of 1941.