Say! It's been a while since we last visited the 1964 New York World's Fair. Let's go there today, shall we?
First up is this image of guests walking past the American Express pavilion. What goes on there? At the entrance to this pavilion, a million dollars' worth of real currency from many nations "grows" on a money tree; inside, the official scale model of the World's Fair is on exhibit. The pavilion also offers various services including foreign exchange, check cashing, the sale of American Express travelers cheques and information on all aspects of the Fair. Meanwhile, there was a beautiful model of the entire Fair: The official model of the World's Fair measures over 54 by 21 feet. As exhibits are pointed out, the model's lighting goes from day to night to day again.
Dead ahead is the Astral Fountain. I learned from readers of this blog that the "cage" surrounding the fountain slowly turned, and I like to imagine that it sounded like a giant electric pencil sharpener. Why put a fountain in a cage? Who knows. Somehow a dome-shaped cage with constellations on it seems like it would have been a bit nicer, but I was only a baby and nobody asked me.
One of the giant Moon Berries grows atop one of the Brass Rail restaurants refreshment stands - there were 25 of them around the Fairgrounds! Moon Berries are delicious, but only when you eat them between midnight and 1:00 AM.
Apparently there used to be a beverage called "Coca Cola", but nobody remembers it today. Now we all drink Slurm (or Diet Slurm), and the world is better for it. I've shared info about the Coca Cola pavilion before, but that was a long time ago, so here it is again: The visitor to this exhibit samples five of the most spectacular places in the world, from an Alpine peak to a tropical forest - complete with sights, sounds, climate and aromas. The scenes are created in an elliptical building two-stories high enclosing a large court. In the center of the court is The Coca-Cola Tower, a three-sided 120-foot spire containing the world's largest electronic carillon, with 610 bells. It strikes the hours at the Fair and is played in concerts by famous carillonneurs.
Oh boy, it's the Festival of Gas! I've never seen anything so beautiful. Never mind the smell. A puppet movie, a magic show, cooking demonstrations and product displays have been assembled by the gas industry in a pavilion of light, airy architecture in a pleasant garden. A white roof, raised high on two columns, shelters most of the area. Underneath, an arrangement of trees, shrubs, ponds and paths leads the flow of visitors to the exhibits and a restaurant.
Today's your lucky day, because you get another view of the Festival of Gas. A giant carousel, 12 feet off the ground, slowly revolves within the exhibit area and permits riders to view the displays they are about to visit. A complete turn takes about five minutes.
Oh yes, I have more photos from the World's Fair for you, coming soon.