More New York World's Fair
It's time to delve back into the New York World's Fair slides (1964, that is).
The photographer had quick reflexes and an eye for an interesting composition when she (he?) took this one. This dramatic upshot of the Unisphere caught an airplane as it passed through a curve of steel representing the orbit of one of earth's satellites. It looks like it is not a jet either, could this be a Lockheed Constellation? 
Yep, there's Rolly Crump's "Tower of the Four Winds"! I'm always happy to find pictures of it, even if this one is a bit far away. Recently, night photo of it turned up, but you'll just have to wait for it. Always leave 'em wanting more!
Here's an unusual (i.e. wonky) angle of a pylon outside of the Progressland exhibit that lets you know who paid for all of this. General Electric! Notice all of the high tension wires to keep the thing from blowing over and making mincemeat out of Fair visitors. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the ramp in the backround took guests up to where the actual "Carousel of Progress" show took place. The bottom level consisted of "Medalion City": "Intriguing homes, stores, a town hall, civic and industrial buildings, and even a newsreel theater invite your inspection. The magic of Progressland bewitches you -- behind the exciting stylized facades are all the electrical products now changing the world we live in."
10 comments:
As always great pictures of a place I wish I had gone to. Not a Constellation Major, but I believe it is a United Airlines DC-7.
Rolly Crump was an incredible talent. That tower should be standing in the area between the DL entrance and DCA entrance. But alas, it too has been destroyed. Sad. Great post.
PTA, what a great idea for the Tower of the Four Winds! I realize Small World was going to have a more detailed facade in DL than the rather plain show building it had at the fair, but it seems like they could have used the tower in some way. Perhaps over to the side where the Small World Toy Shop now sits....or even a little further to the side as just a shaded area with seating. It could have later been used as an entranceway to Videopolis/The Fantasyland Theater. They packed up so much of the other show elements from the fair. What a shame that they scrapped the tower!
Just stumbled across your blog today and have looked back over your last 8 months of posts (back to ~October 2008).
Thanks for sharing all these awesome photos along with great commentary. Love it!
If that first photo was from today’s world you would say “big deal – Photoshop”, But back in 64 you had to be really on your toes to get a nice shot like that. I wonder if the fair was near an airport?
210Frwy, yes the Fair was near JFK... in fact, if you land at JFK and head into Manhattan, you will pass right by the old Fair site and see the Unisphere, New York Pavilion, and Port Authority building.
What a neat shot, the plane coulda been a model circling the sphere like you see on some old animated shows were a plane is shown circling the globe, except that would have required very very tiny passengers,, and DL had already tapped out that niche work force for storybook land.
Hello & welcome Okie, feel fwee to comment with us desperados.
Chiana is back from the top secret mission!
hehe yep and so secret, I'm not even telling me what it was. :)
yay, its a World's Fair Wednesday! i so love going to the fair!
cool shot of the unisphere;i like to do photos like that if i get a chance
the Tower is one of my favorite Disney icons. there is a model of it at Disney's Contemporary Resort in a case between two elevators not far from the escalator to the Monorail, so we at WDW can enjoy it on a visit there.
its only about 4 feet high, of course, but i hear that kinetic music from the DL SSM dvd every time i see it :)
the entrance to the Progressland pavillion reminds me of the original entrance to Space Mountain
thanks for some great pictures today!
Major Pepperidge said...
210Frwy, yes the Fair was near JFK...
Actually, La Guardia is the closest major airport to the Fairgrounds.
Thanks for the photos Major!
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