Wednesday, November 09, 2011

More Expo 67

Here's a group of photos from Montreal's "Expo 67", the wildly successful Exposition that took place in some year that I forget. Maybe 1968.


Commies! The USSR had a pretty incredible pavilion at the Expo, I have to concede. And did you know that this Expo was originally supposed to have taken place in Russia in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Revolution? Da! But the Russkies dropped out, and Canada used the expo to celebrate their own centennial.


If you went up the long escalator in the U.S. Pavilion to where the spacecraft were, and looked up, you would see these parachutes; this is the sight that would bring joy to any astronaut in his capsule during reentry. Prepare for splashdown!


Here's another shot from within the U.S. Pavilion, looking through the panes of plastic that covered the geodesic sphere. Fun fact: fair organizers had expected around 35 million guests to visit, and they were surprised when that number exceeded 50 million!


Here's an oddball photo near the Polymer exhibit. Who doesn't love polymers! I like them with butter and lemon. Notice the "minirail" in the background.


Beyond the patio dining area, you can see the six jagged-yet-circular towers of the "State of New York" pavilion. All of the towers are joined at the second-floor level by a common roof, and the display areas inside tell the story of New York (only they covered up all the vampire stuff). You can also see the polka-dotted edge of a carousel-shaped building that actually rotated past more exhibits. It rotated at over 1000 rpm!


Japan's pavilion resembles a series of three multi-level parking garages, in my opinion. (Sorry Japan)! Somewhere nearby there was a traditional Japanese restaurant, complete with kimono-clad hostesses. The pavilion was divided into three sections designed to show a blend of modern technology and traditional Japanese style. Japan in Progress, Harmony With Nature, and Harmony With Technological Advance were the themes of these sections.


I have lots more from Expo '67!

5 comments:

Nancy said...

totally awesome shots!! i so would have enjoyed this Fair (again, not too far to drive there from here :(

the US Pavilion looks like it was a "clear" sort-of version of Spaceship Earth. i cant wait to see what else you have for us!

Chuck said...

I had no idea the Soviets had intended to host this fair. I'm glad they didn't, though; it's unlikely MLB would have allowed a franchise team in Moscow.

TokyoMagic! said...

I love seeing shots from Expo '67! So was that rotating building a rip-off of Carousel of Progress or a precursor to Innoventions?

Major Pepperidge said...

Nancy, you were even closer to the '64 fair! I always tease my mom that she could have taken us to Woodstock in 1969 (since we lived in Virginia at the time). Sure, I was a little kid, but still!

Chuck, the Soviet angle is an interesting one. The "Sputniks" would be a great name for the team! Imagine that rivalry.

TM!, it definitely sounds like the turning building has more in common with Innoventions!

Pilsner Panther said...

The "Giant Hammer And Sickle" must have been a really popular attraction... or maybe, NOT!