Thursday, December 10, 2009

1962 Seattle World's Fair

I'm taking my time machine (it's a modified Autogyro) up the coast to beautiful Seattle for a look at the Century 21 Expo!

Here's a neat view looking across Puget Sound, with the Fair in the distance. Of course the Space Needle is the most prominent feature, but you can see other Fair buildings to the left.


There's the Needle again! It's like a cross between a Martian from "War of the Worlds" and George Jetson's home. If only the saucer on top periodically took off and then returned a short while later, life would be perfect.


A photo taken from a Sky Ride, what a novel idea! These buckets were fully enclosed to protect riders from the frequent Seattle rains and from Soviet microwaves (which would turn people into commies). We're looking down on the amusement zone, known as the "Gay Way". You heard me. It doesn't look that different from a fancy carnival. Wonder what the "Cake Walk" was? Some sort of funhouse, I'll wager.


Chip, Ernie, and Rob are enjoying their cotton candy (part of a balanced diet) while staking a claim to this area of the Fair. If you look at them funny, it will end in a knife fight! Two of them are wearing sweat shirt featuring classical composters (Bach and Beethoven) - wonder what that's about?

10 comments:

Donnie said...

I wonder which exhibit Bach and Beethoven went to first; Fine arts or U.S. Science?

TokyoMagic! said...

Thanks for another great peek at the Century 21 Expo!

Hey, where's Uncle Charlie?

Andrew said...

Those sweatshirts were an interesting craze in 1962 called the B-B-B sweatshirt. If you do a search in Google Books for Life Magazine, March 30 1962, and turn to pages 56-59, you can read all about it.

Another great post Major!

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Are you telling me the saucer doesn't detach and fly around? What kind of fair was this?

Skyway photo is great, that Caramel Apple stand is classic as is the Cotton Candy/Snow Cone stand! Maybe do the "Cake Walk" before you eat the snacks.

Awesome post, B-B-B sweatshirt kids are too cool.. Thanks for squeezing us in your modified time machine!

Major Pepperidge said...

Thanks for the info about the shorts, Andrew! Did you do research, or do you have a photographic memory and just had that "Life" issue in your head?

Andrew said...

Major, I wish I had that kind of memory, but no such luck. I just looked it up as soon as I saw your post.
You found a little gem of history with that picture!

Nancy said...

awesome photos!!! :D

Chiana_Chat said...

Didja get me a Caramel Apple or some Chun King to go?

Somehow I doubt the music of whomever would be on such shirts today would compare to B, B or B.

Vaughn said...

Great photos, we went there about a dozen times since we lived only ten miles away. We were there the day Pres. Kennedy canceled his speech because of the Cuban missile crisis.

My wife and I just rode those buckets this last September. They moved the Skyride to the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup.

Keep 'em coming, love the '62 Fair pics.

Todd Pierce said...

the Fink banner shot is amazing.