New York World's Fair
It's high time we headed back to New York to visit the 1964 World's Fair!
This first one shows guests approaching the "United Nations North" bridge that crossed above the Grand Central Parkway... in this case, most folks are headed in a southwest direction toward the Transportation Zone, where things such as "Futurama" and the "Magic Skyway" could be found. There must have been a reason why a bridge named after the United Nations did not use actual flags from various countries?
Here's a photo looking across the same bridge in the other direction. One of Greyhound's "Glide-A-Ride" trams is heading toward us, a very nice convenience for the huge fairgrounds. The USA Pavilion is just barely visible to our left as is a Brass Rail "Moonberry" to the extreme right, as is the Seven Up clock tower.
Here's an odd one! A giant box featuring Quaker Oats' Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice looms menacingly. Well, I'm menaced, anyway. What is that thing to the right? It looks like a cannon. Well it IS a cannon, used to fire a genuine "human cannonball" through the air! Because those puffed cereals were "shot from guns" as the ad campaigns told us.
"I question my life decisions!", cried the human cannonball as he passed overhead. I'm happy to know that this is probably only the third or fourth photo of a human cannonball that you have seen this week.
And finally, here's a photo of the Vatical pavilion, which was one of the top attractions at the Fair. Most notably, Michelangelo's beautiful "Pieta" was on display, the only time it has ever been outside of Italy (something that will reportedly never be allowed again). Worth waiting in a long line, I'd say!
Oh yes, I have more World's Fair photos for you.
20 comments:
Major-
Just seeing the image of that human cannonball frolicking through the air gives me the heebie-jeebies-!
Thanks, Major.
I was thinking the same thing, Nanook. There has to be pain involved - yikes!
If shooting rice and wheat from a cannon "puffs" it up, does shooting a person from a cannon make them "puffy"?
I've heard that the "muzak" tracks inside the Vatican Pavilion, consisted only of If I Had A Hammer, playing on an endless loop.
#1 is a good people-watching photo. In the center we have a pair of brothers. At first I thought they were dressed alike but they are only similar (green shirt & brown shirt). To their right is a lady wearing a black & white striped dress. Not really zebra striped; more like a zebra on acid. To her right is a teen girl who doesn't want her picture taken. And way on the left is a pair of little twin girls holding Daddy's hand. Not sure what the white part of their outfit is; some sort of sleeveless smock.
#2: Major, as is the Skyway ride and a couple of the colorful luminaires.
The lady on the far left, in the blue dress is saying "I coulda had a V8!" To her right, we see Pugsley coming straight toward us. Lots of people have one of those large balloon/ball thingys; and they all seem to be of the pink variety. Weren't other colors available?
#3: "Nothing is better for thee than me."
#4: Echoing what others have said, the human cannonball flying high in the air looks weirdly exciting and frightening! I hope he landed on something soft, like one of the Moonberries.
#5: On the left is probably the best, clearest image of a luminaire you've posted so far, Major. Near the center are a married couple(?) dressed alike in dark khaki (plaid?) shorts and white shirts.
Tokyo, both of your comments made me laugh!
Major, thanks for letting us use your Time Machine to visit 1964 again.
- Jaunty Beau (conversation heart expression)
As a kid, I didn't understand all the hub-bub (Bub) about human cannonballs. After all, they didn't use real gunpowder or anything. However, seeing that guy waaaaaaaaaay up there makes me appreciate them a lot more!
There was almost a perfect marketing overlap with Quaker Oats. They could have tied their product and the Fair together perfectly with...wait for it.. wait for it..
Quisp Cereal with Moonberries!
Unfortunately, Quisp (and Quake, but nobody really talks about him) was released in 1965, as the fair was closing. Sigh...What could have been...
Because the biggest and best ever “World’s Fair”, wasn’t.
The Bureau International des Expositions refused to sanction the 1964 New York fair, since Seattle was the official fair that season for the north American region.
Thus, countries were actually banned from participating, though a few did anyway. Hence the huge focus on American corporations rather than nations. No countries, no flags, but some ‘banners’ over that bridge.
MS
Good twinspotting, JB! I have a sewing pattern for those apron-style tops, but I'm not sure a modern kid would want to wear one. I probably would have gotten tangled up trying to put one on or take it off. There's a man and woman in the crowd of the last picture who appear to be wearing matching white shirts and green shorts, but it may be some kind of uniform.
It's such a comfort to take the tram, and leave the driving to them.
Only in the U.S. would it be a selling point that your breakfast cereal was shot from a gun!
I agree, fun people watching today. Twins, colorful clothes, and pink balloons abound! I’ve never seen a human cannonball in action but I didn’t think they went so high! In the last photo, a man with a broom wears a kooky Cat in the Hat style hat. Thanks, Major.
The cereal gun shooting is also weird coming from a company named after a pacifist religion.
TokyoMagic! Shooting a person out of a cannon makes him puffy, at least until the Advil kicks in.
I didn't know Quaker had a display at the NYWF. In 2014, there was a demo of the puffed cereal gun at the NY Maker Faire on the site of the NYWF.
Pic 1 also has a glimpse of the Ford "crown roast" rotunda and the Port authority helipad building--the coolest way to arrive. This must have been 1965, since the Chrysler rockets are painted brightly.
Pic 2 shows one of the famous "serpentine" phone booths. I wonder if the last saved one has been restored, there was an effort to do that a few years ago.
Impressive view of the Luminaries in pic 5. Were any of those balconies on the Vatican pavilion were part of apartments for staff. I'd guess they wanted their own guards on site 24x7.
Nanook, I know, I’m sure 99 times out of 100, all goes as planned. But if something goes wrong…!
Lou and Sue, I want to know who even thought of the idea of a human cannonball!
TokyoMagic!, I never thought of that! “Now I can’t fit into my pants. It’s not because I eat too much, it’s because I was shot out of a cannon!”. “If I Had a Hammer”, OY! You know that the Pieta was attacked by that crazy guy when it was in Rome, and not when it was in New York.
JB, like Disneyland slides, I always love me some vintage people-watching. I’m glad my mom never thought to dress my brother (18 months older) and me the same; it’s cute for twins, but humiliating for everyone else! That teen girl is so OVER IT. “I wish I was at home looking at my photos of the Beatles!”. Man I love those luminaires, I still think somebody should make half-sized versions for people, with a selection of colors. Did V-8 juice exist in 1964? Probably, only it was made with real lard, and just a touch of cocaine. I love the idea of the human cannonball landing on a Moonberry… but then he’d bounce. And land. Somewhere. That IS a particularly nice, big, and elaborate luminaire, with lots of good colors. You might not know that the little “cone” just under the lamps is where speakers were hidden.
Stu29573, I feel like silly sitcoms must have had human cannonballs in them, but I can’t remember which ones. The Munsters? Gilligan’s Island? Quisp cereal! I loved Quisp, but my brother liked Quake, and thus the Civil War began. Moonberries, I picture Crunch Berries only they would have to be a pale cheesy green, with a sweet berry flavor. Darn you, Stu, now I want some!
MS, I know you are right about the fact that the ’64 Fair wasn’t sanctioned officially! There were some countries that had pavilions, but probably not as many as a “real” World’s Fair. And wouldn’t they be able to fly flags on a bridge? Maybe not? I really don’t know!
Melissa, so I guess those outfits don’t count as dresses with pinafores? What’s a pin-a for, anyway? I sometimes see married couples dressed alike, which is simultaneously cute and weird. I would take the tram all day long and not even visit any pavilions.
Kathy!, I know, I thought maybe the human cannonballs maybe went 20 feet in the air, and even THAT is pretty high. I dove off of a 12 foot diving board and it felt WAY too high once I was up there. The sweeper’s hat is orange and blue, official Fair colors.
Melissa, GOOD POINT!
Stu, history is full of missed opportunities like that.
Melissa, "Only in the U.S. would it be a selling point that your breakfast cereal was shot from a gun!" How true. I laughed at that, then shook my head in sadness.
Melissa again, wow, you're just full of truthiness today!
Major, "who even thought of the idea of a human cannonball!" I'm guessing either Ringling, Barnum, or Bailey. Probably Barnum; sounds like him.
I think V8 juice was originally made from ox blood and coca leaves. Cocaine would be too processed for a product that prides itself on being fresh and natural. Just saying.
Everything at the Vatican pavilion is canonized, and everything at the Quaker Oats pavilion is cannonized.
JB, I wasn't sure if anyone would get my sick joke about vandalism.
Dean Finder, ha, ha! Maybe the Advil pavilion was next door. Actually, back then, it probably would have been Bayer or Anacin!
Major, at one point, I swore I had read that the vandalism to the sculpture happened at the Fair. But some time later, I did read that it happened, once it was back in Rome. Today, the statue is behind bullet proof glass in St. Peter's Basilica....and they only play "U Can't Touch This," by who else? MC Hammer.
Melisa - I wonder if Frank Canon on CANON - A Quinn Martin Production- was ever Canonized ? he should have been. I think there was an episode where he was almost Cannonized.
LOS ANGELES was planning a World’s Fair for 1967 .... only the Lax Theme Center was constructed in advanced - but a good deal of design was underway. After the receipts showed that both the Seattle World’s Fair and the New York World’s Fairs we’re financial disasters in reality , Los Angeles quietly shelved its plans. A Disney Circle Vision film proposal for this fair titled GOLDEN STATE ‘67 CIRCLE VISION to be sponsored by the State of California lists potential shooting locations - including Disneyland .... and the re-use of some America The Beautiful segments. A historical review of California proposed in “ humorous” animation is mentioned - including the ice age — gold rush and San Francisco earthquake & rebuild .... I think this would have been a first with animation for the first part of a Circle Vision film had it been done.
More World's Fair photos please!
Dennis- Levittown NY
Tokyo hit a home run with: "they only play "U Can't Touch This," by who else? MC Hammer."
JB, I think that all breakfast cereals should be the product of some sort of violence. Electrocution, tickling, you name it. Melissa is the oracle of GDB! I wonder if you are right about one of those big circuses being the place where the human cannonball was invented? You’re right, it was coca leaves, I am embarrassed that I got that detail wrong.
Melissa, OOF.
TokyoMagic!, now I am wondering if Bayer had a pavilion! They are a huge company, anything is possible. “Come in for your free sample!”. A little tin with four aspirin, probably. While it was horrible that the Pieta was attacked by a madman, at least it didn’t happen over here. I’d love to read or see details on how the damage was fixed. I saw the Pieta many years ago, and it was already behind the bullet proof glass… I wish I could have at least gotten a little bit closer to it. Because I’d brought my OWN hammer.
Mike Cozart, I think it goes without saying that Frank Canon was Canonized! I loved William Conrad, if nothing else for his work on “Rocky and Bullwinkle”. Such an unlikely star, but there was just something about him. I had never heard that a World’s Fair was planned (tentatively) for Los Angeles! Fascinating! I’d love to know more about that. I think that many Fairs were money-losers, sadly.
dennis, THERE you are! ;-)
JB, the next time I go to the Vatican to see the Pieta, I sure hope they have M.C. Hammer playing over the PA system!
Dean Finder, I’m sorry I missed you earlier! I love that photo of the cereal being puffed (from your link), I guess the cereal really IS “shot from guns”, I always thought that might be just some advertising ballyhoo. Yes, there’s the Ford Rotunda, and I can only imagine how amazing it must have been to arrive at the Fair via helicpter. Good eye on the 1965 paint scheme, you get an A+ with a smiley face. And maybe even a foil star sticker. I didn’t know that any of those phone booths had survived, if so I do hope that somebody is doing restoration. What a wonderful mid-century design. I was wondering about those balconies at the Vatican Pavilion, with their plantings. Were they accessible to guests? Probably not.
Now that I have seen pictures of this Fair, I understand 1955 Tomorrowland so much better. Thanks everyone for the info on the various pavilions etc.
Michelangelo carved the Pieta when he was quite young, in his 20’s, I believe. Various critics did not believe it was the work of one so young, so he came in one night to the statue and carved his signature onto the sash of Mary’s robe. The only work he signed.
The figure of Mary is purposely slightly out-of-scale larger than the figure of the Saviour, especially her hands, to emphasize the nature of the Saviour, her son.
Thanks Major.
JG
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