The world was recovering from the throes of the ‘Great Depression’ and needed to get out of its economic woes. An international exposition was planned to lift the nation out of its financial problems. The 1939 New York World’s Fair was hosted at the Flushing Meadows park and it was the second most expensive American fair of all time. Additionally, 44 million people attended the fair. The theme for the 1939 New York World’s Fair was ‘the world of tomorrow’ and the opening slogan was ‘Dawn of a New Day’.
Let us take a look at 15 Iconic pictures from the 1939 New York World’s Fair
1) A picture of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt delivering an address at the opening ceremony of the $160,000,000 1939 New York World’s Fair. During this address, he famously said that America has ‘hitched her wagon to a star of goodwill’.
2) Visitors pictured ascending the ‘electric stairway’ in the Hall of Power at the Westinghouse building.
3) A Pontiac deluxe ‘Ghost car’ made of plexiglass displayed at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
4) The crowd excitedly watches the Westinghouse Moto-Man, Elektro as he performs his 26 mechanical tricks such as smoking a cigarette, talking, walking and counting.
5) A picture of the impressive consolidated Edison’s water fountain, taken at night.
6) A picture of the Streamlined locomotive New York Central ‘Hudson’ at the 1939 World’s Fair.
7) Rosalie Fairbanks, a guide to the fair, points to the theme centre of the fair- the iconic Trylon and Perisphere structures.
8) Queen Elizabeth and King George VI (First Car) on the way to the 1939 New York World’s Fair on June 10, 1939.
9) The entry to the General Motors’ Exhibit, the exhibit was visited by more than 25 million people.
10) A picture of Futurama, a 1960 model of the world designed by Norman Bel Geddes. This is how he envisioned the future in the next 20 years. It had futuristic features such as skyscrapers, segregation of traffic and a motorway system. The model truly fit the theme of the fair.
11) Visitors enjoying the bumper boats, one of the many unique rides at the 1939 New York World’s fair.
12) A picture of visitors crowding around a new type of television at the RCA exhibit.
13) An iconic picture of the Soviet Pavillion at the 1939 World’s Fair.
14) Swimmers of the famous Billy Rose Aquacade show, one of the most successful production at the fair.
15) The fair came to an end as the world prepared itself for World War II. Below is a picture of the dismantling of the fair’s theme centre the Trylon and Perisphere.
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