I've shared scans of vintage amateur photo prints from the 1939/40 New York World's Fair before, and thought it would be fun to look at some more.
First up, GDB friend Mark Raymond kindly scanned this photo of his Grandparents, with the monumental Trylon and Perisphere (and the "Helicline" ramp) in the background. Fantastic! The lady to the right must be from the planet Zorgax 9, because she has apparently never observed other human beings at such close range. What a charming photo for Mark to have, from one of the key events of the last days of the Great Depression.
It looks like Mark's Grandmother is wearing a pinback button on her lapel! There were many varieties (I have several dozen different examples in my collection), but one of the more common buttons looked like this, and it might be the same kind Mark's Grandma is sporting:
I figured it would be fun to add some vintage snapshots from my collection to round out this post. Here is the iconic 250 foot-tall Parachute Jump - the second-tallest structure at the Fair (after the 610-foot Trylon). Notice the Lifesavers affixed to the side of the ride - it was sponsored by the makers of that famous candy. In 1941 the Parachute Jump was moved to Steeplechase Park; even though that park has been gone since the 1960s, and the ride eventually fell into disuse, the steel structure still stands today as a New York designated landmark.
Next is this photo of Monkey Island. An island.... of monkeys. An impressive Seussian mountain was built for the monkeys, but they didn't seem to venture up very high. Folks loved to look at the monkeys, though... a similar attraction was also at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.
I love a good Fun Foto! At the Eastman Kodak pavilion, guests could sit in a parachuted seat (see photo #2!) with a painted aerial view of the Fair as a backdrop. Notice that this photo is from 1940.
The Fair was chock full of monumental sculptures, many in the Art Deco style. This one is "Europa" by Gleb W. Derujinsky, a Russian-American sculptor. A nude woman clings to a rampaging bull while porpoises leap around them. I believe this is an allegory involving Europe's dominion of the land and sea. Or something. Nicely done, Gleb! The Railroad building is behind Europa.
Well folks, I looked and looked, but I couldn't figure out which building is behind this nice lady. I finally gave up, hot tears streaming down my cheeks. I'm not proud. If anybody out there knows where this photo was taken, please let me know.
You can really tell that the Earth is tilted on its axis in this photo of the Italian pavilion. Whoever took the picture wasn't interested in the figure of "Italia" atop the 200 foot-tall pedestal (you can just see the waterfalls that cascaded down the stepped pedestal). I shared a color photo of the pavilion HERE.
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the 1939 New York World's Fair! Thanks to Mark Raymond for sharing another wonderful family photo.
Major-
ReplyDeleteThat 'other' lady in the 1st image is practicing her best Almira Gulch stare, while firmly standing in very sensible shoes, and sporting a very daring hat-!
I'm certain it was mere oversight on Walt's part that Disneyland ended up with the Matterhorn Mountain, rather than Monkey Island-! (Just imagine all the 'hissing' and 'cackling' coming from the more rowdy monkeys when catching glimpses of the mermaids in the Submarine lagoon-!)
Thank you Mark for sharing that cool shot of your Grandparents.
That is such a great photo of Mark's grandparents. My great-grandmother went to this World's Fair, but unfortunately, we don't have any photos! I've mentioned it before, but that same year, my grandparents went to the Fair on Treasure Island (in San Francisco) and again, no photos!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the monkeys threw "stuff" at the people below...as monkeys will do.
THANK YOU Mark, for sharing your personal family photo with us! And thanks to the Major, too!
One wonders if Walt ever visited the fair. "You know, I bet I could do all this better." I really like how people of yesteryear viewed the future at these shindigs. It's fun to see how many predictions came true. If you told them in 29 years man would walk on the moon, I wonder how many people would believe it. Thanks Mark for sharing these and as always, thanks to the man who makes all this possible, Major P.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy sharing photos like these and it would take Major to recognize that pin grandma is wearing. To be honest, I didn't know where they were until I saw a few pictures of the Trylon and Perishere on this page. So now I know where they are and even a window on the year. So cool.
ReplyDeleteThat woman does have a weird stare at my grandfather, he's just sooo dapper.
It's the Netherlands pavilion!
ReplyDeleteThe Kennywood miniature train came from this fair.
I love the shot of the parachute jump tower and had no idea it was sponsored by Lifesavers. I'm thinking that it will probably be a good idea to push off the DL trip one more year, but that would give me an opportunity to go on the National Amusement Park Historical Association's summer trip, which includes Coney Island. I also would like to go to Flushing Meadows someday!
I would have sworn none of my grandparents went to the ‘39 Fair, but that guy in the parachute picture is a dead ringer for my other Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteThe lady eyeballing MRaymond’s lovely grandparents looks like something straight out of Central Casting’s “Spinsters and Maiden Aunts” file.
I can’t not hear the word “monkey” without an Inspector Clouseau accent. It made that primatology course I took in college pretty tough.
Gorgeous photos today!
I would love to have seen, or see...the Matterhorn crawling with Monkeys. Call it "Mr. Stubbs Mountain". or "The Great Barefoot Executive Ride" or the "He loves the Monkeys Uncle Mountain." or...the spin off: " Lancelot Link Land." (I'm dating myself.) There seems to be a huge Monkey connection that was totally missed in the development of early attractions. And...I know Disney monkeys are apes, not monkeys..but I do love Monkeys and Apes equally. And Lancelot Link wasn't a WDP, but it sure was hilarious- look it up.
ReplyDeleteBu, my husband loved Lancelot Link, as a kid, so I purchased the DVDs as soon as they were available. They ARE entertaining!
ReplyDeleteTM! That was my first thought, when I saw those monkeys. My husband saw a monkey that had perfect spitting aim, years ago at a small campground amusement park in Kentucky. He and his brother stood far back and found it entertaining to watch the monkey start to pucker his mouth and then take aim at unsuspecting spectators...I guess he never missed.
MRaymond, that's a great picture of your grandparents - and with the World's Fair in the background and that funny photo-bombing lady. Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you, too, Major!
I have fond memories of Lancelot Lunk, and horrifying memories of the talking chimpanzee from Ark II. And I just realized I used a triple negative in my last comment, so I have no idea what that sentence even means.
ReplyDeleteLink! Link! Lancelot Link!
ReplyDeleteI have no memories of Lancelot Lunk, because I was completely drink.
Nanook, yes, Almira Gulch is about right. I just can’t imagine what she is staring at with such bafflement! She does have a pretty wild hat though. They could still put monkeys on the Matterhorn - AND dress them up like little storm troopers.
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!, aw, bummer that you don’t have any photos of your great-grandma at that Fair! I’ve wondered if my grandparents went to the Golden Gate Exposition that was in San Francisco in 1939 - but they’re long-gone and I can’t ask now. I hope those monkeys didn’t throw “stuff”, but I wouldn’t blame them too much if they did.
Jonathan, I have never been entirely clear about whether Walt went to the NYWF in 1939/40. The Nabisco pavilion had a special Mickey Mouse cartoon called “Mickey’s Surprise Party”.
MRaymond, there are a LOT of different pinback buttons that your grandma could be wearing, but I feel like it’s a good be that she was wearing an example like the one I showed. Cool that this blog helped you determine where your grandparents were in the photo! If you look at most people who visited the Fair in those days, they seemed to get dressed up, it was a really big deal! Thanks again.
Andrew, aha! It does look like the Netherlands pavilion based on that photo. (Why does the photo say “Sherman Oaks Antique Mall”, which I drive past regularly?? The summer trip with the National Amusement Park Historical Association sounds right up your alley! Coney Island, yes please. And as long as you’re there, definitely go to Flushing Meadows.
Melissa, hey, maybe I have a photo of your grandpa! That would be amazing. The lady might be a spinster or maiden, but she is holding hands with somebody. Now I’m so distracted by that hat, and that thing that is angled on the top. What is it? And I believe you are thinking of the word “monkey”, as pronounced “minky”!
Bu, monkeys are one thing, but can you imagine the Matterhorn crawling with chimpanzees? Those things get BIG and strong. They are scary! Lancelot Link, greatest show ever. So much drama, action, music, and romance. It always kind of bugged me that Disney always called chimps “monkeys”, but they obviously just liked the word.
Lou and Sue, oh my gosh, I can only imagine what those episodes of Lancelot Link would be like all these years later! I admire a monkey who can spit. I’ve never had an interaction with a monkey, up close and personal, but once, on a trip to the zoo with my grandparents, and adult male gorilla must have decided he was sick of crowds staring at him. He carefully tore up a chunk of grass and dirt, and threw it at the crowd. It hit my grandpa right in the chest! Luckily gramps just laughed. I say something like that is GOOD luck.
Melissa, “Ark II”, I don’t even know what that is. And if you use a quadruple negative, the universe will reset back to normal.
Melissa, who knew that Lancelot Link would evoke so many memories! Or none in your case.
Ark II was a kids’ sci-fi show from the late 1970s, about a group of scientists roaming around post-apocalyptic Earth looking for survivors. One of them was a talking chimpanzee, but the voice they dubbed in was pretty disturbing, at least to me. It sounded like someone talking while inhaling instead of exhaling.
ReplyDeleteSue and Major, I remember being at the Los Angeles Zoo when I was very young, and standing in a crowd of people watching the orangutans. One of them "did his business" and then threw it at the crowd. He had great aim too, because it knocked a lady's hat off of her head. Funny thing is, I don't remember the crowd dispersing after that, but that lady probably left.
ReplyDeleteMajor, I have a book on the 1939 NYWF, and it has a beautiful color photo of that "photo-op" with the parachute seat. I was going to scan it and send it to you early this morning, but for the life of me, I could not find the book. I hate it when that happens!
We do have pics of my great-grandmother standing at the base of the Statue of Liberty. And those pics are from the same N.Y. trip when they went to the Fair. I think if they had taken photos at the Fair, they would still exist....so why didn't they take any pictures at the Fair????? My great-grandmother told me the story of how they took the train from Los Angeles to Detroit. After arriving in Detroit, they bought a new car (I guess cars were cheaper there, at the source?) From Detroit, they drove their brand new car to New York, went to the Fair and saw the other N.Y. sights, and then drove back home across the country in their new car.
Big thanks to Mark Raymond for sharing his family pics again! Was that taken by a strolling photographer?
ReplyDeleteMy parents attended the 1939 Fair on Treasure Island, I shared some memorabilia from that visit a while back.
I recently found pics of them taken on the Midway at that fair. It looks like it was quite an event. I have no idea who took the photos, I wondered if there were photographers who took pictures and sold them to you later?
Thank Major!
JG
TM! hahaha! At first I thought you were jokingly describing Lucy's trip - when talking about your grandparent's trip. As you obviously know, her trip was by new car from New York to L.A., and back via train. Sort of a reverse trip. I had to re-read your comment to make sure you weren't trying to sneak something in.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Major, for the fun post! I saw lots of new things today:
1. Giant Lifesavers
2. Monkey Island
3. Mark's grandparents
I’ve always loved the scene in 1941’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith where Gene Raymond and Carole Lombard get stuck on the Parachute Drop after it’s been moved to Coney Island.
ReplyDeleteSomeday, darn it, I’m going to make it to Coney Island for the Mermaid Parade.
Melissa, I've probably watched that movie a dozen times over the years, but never, until tonight, have I noticed the Trylon and Perisphere in the background of that scene in the movie - where Gene Raymond and Carole Lombard are stuck on the Parachute Drop. To watch that scene, CLICK HERE!
ReplyDelete(Melissa, thanks for mentioning it.)
Major - I think that unknown location photo was taken at the Poland Pavilion. I could be wrong. I've seen an image on Google that has a similar design to the columns on either side of the lady in the photo. Apparently the pavilion had large stained glass windows, which apparently some of which have been saved.
ReplyDeleteThank you Gojira! When I get home tonight, I'll see if I can find any good images of the Poland pavilion, and try to match them. I appreciate it!
ReplyDelete