April 24, 2008
1964-65 World's Fair Revisited
Modern Mechanix has an old National Geographic from 1965 with a huge spread on the World's Fair in New York. Step back to the atomic era and see the now-endangered Tent of Tomorrow in its glory days. Not many of these structures and rides exist today, at least not in New York; the giant tire is alive and well in Detroit, and of course, the Walt Disney-created ride, "It's a Small World" is still going -- check out some video of it here.
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All alone at the '64 World's Fair
Eighty dolls yelling "Small girl after all"
Who was at the Dupont Pavilion?
Why was the bench still warm? Who had been there?
That was an experience I will never forget. I was in the first grade at the time and the world was a wierd and wonderful place. The World's Fair was like going to Mars on a Rocket.
Things I remember... The Plastic dinosaur Injector machines, The AquaCars drving on the lake, Walking right up to James Bond's Aston Martin, The Robotic Abraham Lincoln in the Airconditioned Building,Those freaky mechanical puppets singing Its a Small World,Riding on a Tiny Model T drinking a gaint Mug of rootbeer...
My dad went to it and still talks fondly about all the cool stuff he saw.
We visited from NJ five times, in each case agonizing for weeks over which pavilions we'd visit and what we'd eat. Belgian waffles? Greek Baklava? Mexican tacos? People today can't imagine how provincial New York was in those days. Robert Moses blew this city open for us. (I know, I know, here come the darts.)
I wouldn't give Moses credit for for making us less provincial . . .
Nonetheless, the 64 -65 Fair was the best! I was in 2nd grade, then 3rd grade -- we3 spend a week there both summers -- still have amazing memories. Such optimistic times! The future would be better and better!
The only good news is that "picture phones" never took off!
My father also talks very fondly of and remembers very vividly taking the train up and out to the fair from NJ with his aunt, waiting on line and being amazed at what the world was going to have to offer.
We should hold another World's Fair. Seriously.