Wednesday, July 08, 2015

1964 New York World's Fair

It's time for more images from the New York World's Fair! These are kind of so-so photos, but I'm using what I have already scanned.

Not far from the Chrysler Pavilion, and next to U.S. Rubber's giant tire Ferris Wheel, you could find the Lowenbrau Gardens. It was, "... an open-air Bavarian-style restaurant set in a village square. The square is surrounded by five buildings, including a bell tower and a gate". "Every now and again, Lowenbrau's brewery wagon, drawn by four massive horses, can be seen in the streets outside, or traveling about the fairgrounds".

Love those luminaires!


The Mormon Church pavilion was a very popular photo subject; I suppose that it did stand out amidst the other ultra-modern, geometric buildings. Here we see the three-quarter scale replicas of part of the Mormon temple in Utah. 

In official Fair guides, several mentions are made of an "artificial cloud" that would be seen around these three towers. "A white cloud, visible for a great distance, hovers around the three towers...". There is even an artist's rendering showing a large cloud around it (which is weird). And yet I have never seen this cloud in actual photos. Presumably some sort of special-effect was intended, and it must not have worked out so well in real life.


This photo is not much to look at, but it is a bit interesting because it shows the inner courtyard of the massive United States pavilion. I have plenty of exterior photos of that building, but this is my only interior. 


11 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

It would appear in the first picture we have the photographer taking a picture of another photographer - taking a picture.

Thanks, Major.

K. Martinez said...

Nanook,

I must be losing it. I can not find the other photographer - taking a picture, the photographer is taking a picture of that you mention.

Melissa said...

1. "Hey, Edna! Get a picture of Harvey's rear end while he takes a picture of the beer wagon! What a shot!"

"Yepper, we'll have to get that one blown up real big and hang it on the wall of the rumpus room. RUMPUS room! Get it?"

"The things you see when you ain't got your gun!"

"Talk about your beer barrel poke 'er!"

"At least the horses cover themselves with their tails, Harv!"

"That's more lowbrow than Lowenbrau!"

*pants-ripping noise*

2. "Raymond, I told you if you bought the children those ridiculous hats I would pretend I didn't know any of you, and that's exactly what I'm doing."

3. A Song About the People in the American Pavilion Not Looking at Each other

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of hay,
To gather with our fellow men
And never look their way!
American! American! I will not look at thee,
We'll act annoyed,
Each other's eyes avoid,
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for patriot gaze
That sternly won't meet mine!
O beautiful for patriot face,
Unseen by human eyne!!
America! America! I will not look at thee,
Behind that fence is reticence,
From sea to shining sea!

K. Martinez said...

Nanook,

I must've been smoking something good. I just figured it out from reading Melissa's comments. And here I was looking for two photographers in the first image. That's what I get for trying to think at 3:00 a.m. in the morning.

Nanook said...

@ Ken

I'm all too familiar with the pitfalls of 'late night thinking'.

zach said...

Dang it! All the puns are taken! I need to view the blog much earlier with this crowd. But (oh, I got one in!) this is the closest I've been to being 'mooned' on your blog.

dz

Melissa said...

Sorry for using so many puns! I guess I'm just a bum! ;)

dennis said...

More Worlds Fair pictures, please!

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, it’s like a Russian nesting doll, only not as cute!

K. Martinez, oh I have definitely lost it. But I think Nanook meant that our photograph counts as photographer #1, and then that other guy is photographer #2.

Melissa, I can’t help imagining old-time radio voices for your characters. Like Jack Benny or Fibber MdGee and Molly! You have outdone yourself.

K. Martinez, it’s OK, I thought the same thing at first!

Nanook, that’s what you guys get for commenting in the wee hours of the morning.

David Zacher, there MUST be a better example of mooning than this after 9 years of blogging!! But I admit that I can’t think of one.

Melissa, there’s always room for more puns.

dennis (from Levittown!), I knew you would say that!

Dean Finder said...

Has anyone ever found home movies of the show in the United States pavilion? I've read that the moving theater seats in EPCOT Center's Universe of Energy pavilion are based on this show.

Nancy said...

so cool.....with every post I realize all over again what a great time I missed for sure by not getting to visit the World's Fair in 1964.

I have been to one Fair, New Orleans in 1982, and it was nothing like what I have seen of the NYWF. Thanks for always bringing no only the great views but all the fun info you provide as well. :-)

Yes, more World's Fair, please!!

Have a good day with your move....I love new things!