Trylon and Perisphere, New York World's Fair, 1939. These modernistic structures, designed by Wallace Harrison and J. Andre Fouilhoux, were constructed for the 1939 World's Fair. Plans for construction were changed multiple times due to limited resources due to the Great Depression. They were originally intended to be much larger than their final size of a 180-foot diameter sphere (the Perisphere) and a 610-foot spire (the Trylon). The Trylon was a high spike that visitors were able to ride up on an escalator for a panoramic view. The Perisphere was a giant sphere had an elaborate display on the inside called "Democracity." It presented an image of an ideal future in which people were not forced to live in crowded cities—in this vision, factory workers could live in big houses with gardens and open space, and commute to work. Unfortunately, the Trylon and the Perisphere did not survive World War II, and were destroyed to make ammunition and supplies shortly after the end of the Fair.

By Katie Uva Since their inception in the mid-19th century, world’s fairs have been major cultural touchstones. While fairs have typically had malleable themes and many different types of activities and displays on offer, one of the signature features of world’s fairs has been their role as industrial showcases. Fairs present new technology and inventions and promote the goals of their funders. In the mid-20th century, many of those goals centered on reshaping America’s cities. At the 1939 World’s Fair, several exhibits sought to awe visitors with a picture of prosperous regions anchored by cities, sculpted by highways, and based in suburban family living. By 1964, these ideas and the public-private cooperation they demanded had remade American life. The 1964 World’s Fair aimed to celebrate and perpetuate an already powerful mode of thinking about America’s cities, but in doing so also became a major target for criticism. Read this in its original format here.

My Archive Summer 2019 “My great aunt Mary saved all the family photos that eventually got passed down to me. Her brother, my grandfather, John, was drafted during WWII.” —Paul Demonte

Aerial view of the 1964 World’s Fair grounds, including the Unisphere and pavilions, 1964.

Designed by York & Sawyer, Hurley & Hughes, and Edward Luders. Given Luders background, it is almost certain he was brought in for his ecclesiastical and liturgical expertise, as the other two firms did not specialize in church architecture. The circular pavilion was one of the most popular at the Fair and included Michelango’s Pieta, viewed from a moving sidewalk.

Visitors to the General Motors Highways and Horizons exhibit at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair proudly wore this “I have seen the future” pin after stepping out of the “Futurama,” a ride-like feature of the exhibit that traversed several levels of the pavilion, and extended for a third of a mile. The Futurama covered 35,000 square feet and was made up of 408 separate sections created by hundreds of skilled artists and craftspeople.

"The 1964 World’s Fair occurred at a moment of significant upheaval in New York. The Fair was a powerful symbol of the establishment, a showpiece for corporate giants and urban leaders alike to bolster their claim to be bringing Americans a better future. Consequently, it held enormous appeal to visitors but was also a focal point for protest. The pictures of mid-century urbanism promoted at the Fair were undeniably popular; out of 51 million total visitors to the Fair in its two seasons, 29 million went to the General Motors Pavilion, 2 million more than went to Michelangelo’s Pieta at the Vatican Pavilion… Futurama II, sponsored by General Motors, echoed the arguments made by its predecessor; its display allowed visitors to see 'a gigantic machine build a superhighway in the jungle, see barren desert become farmland, and hover above a futuristic metropolis of automated highways and moving sidewalks.'" To learn more about the 1964 World's Fair, check out Katie Uva's article in Gotham: A Blog for Scholars of New York City History.

April 30, 2019 was the 80th anniversary of the grand opening of the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair, which drew millions of visitors to Flushing Meadows, Queens to experience “The World of Tomorrow.” The Fair was divided into zones, each devoted to an aspect of modern life: Amusement, Communications and Business Systems, Community Interests, Food, Government, Medical and Public Health, Production and Distribution, Science and Education, and Transportation. States and countries exhibited their food and culture in designated areas; 33 U.S. states and Puerto Rico were represented, and all major countries participated except China and Germany. During the Fair’s second season in 1940, an American Common replaced the Soviet Union’s pavilion. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, Fair Corporation President Grover Whalen, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt were involved in planning the Fair, which was meant to lift Americans’ spirits after the economic woes of the Depression. The Fair took nearly three years to construct, and over 200,000 people attended the grand opening – held symbolically on the 150th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration. Let us take a look at some images of the Fair’s attractions.

My Archive Summer 2019 “My great aunt Mary saved all the family photos that eventually got passed down to me. She, in the World's Fair photo, is the one on the left.” —Paul Demonte

Vatican Pavilion, 1964. Perhaps surprisingly the Vatican Pavilion was the second most popular site at the 1964-1965 World's Fair. 52% of attendees visited the pavilion, including Pope Paul VI, 15 Cardinals, one Patriarch, three Apostolic Delegates, and 127 Archbishops and Bishops. It was five times more popular than any other religious sponsored locale at the fair. The attractions in the popular pavilion included the tiara of Pope Paul VI, a replica of the Tomb of St. Peter, and the Pietà, Michelangelo's stone masterpiece, which was shipped from St. Peter’s Basilica in a waterproof metal container and displayed behind bullet-proof plexiglass. The artwork, which had not left its basilica home since 1499, was dramatically situated by Jo Mielziner, famed Broadway set designer and viewed from a series of multilevel moving walkways. The oval-shaped mid-century building with a golden roof and cross that rose to 100 feet was designed by the firms of York & Sawyer, Hurley & Hughes, and Luders and Associates. The building also featured a glass-enclosed mezzanine that formed a tent-like circular chapel. Following the close of the fair, both interior and exterior architectural elements of the Chapel of the Good Shepard were purchased by St. Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Church in Groton, Connecticut. A new church building (which still stands today) was designed using these features by architect, William F. Herman, Jr.

Lorin Maazel was a Jewish American composer, conductor and musical prodigy. Seen here at age 9 conducting the National Music Camp Orchestra of the Interlochen Bowl Preparatory from the New York World's Fair Friday August 18, 1939.