In 1939, the 150th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration in New York City, the nation’s first capital, coincided with the opening of the New York World’s Fair. It was the second-most expensive and largest American world’s fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis’s Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Developers were permitted to develop 1,200 acres in Queens, the site of a former ash dump. Governments, corporations, civic groups, and smaller organizations worldwide set up pavilions and exhibitions in great numbers. They housed a diorama of a utopian city, Democity, which became the symbol of the entire Fair. A total of 206,000 people attended the Fair’s first day, even though some pavilions were still under construction. A total of 44 million people attended the Fair over two seasons, taking in marionette shows, thrill rides, girlie shows, and aquatic extravaganzas. Approximately 1,000 visitors watched the opening speech on 200 televisions throughout the Fair President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his opening speech.
Five of the seven zones had “Focal Exhibits,” with two Focal Exhibits housed in their buildings. Many structures were built on the fairgrounds, and many of them were experimental in many ways. Corporate or government sponsors encouraged architects to be creative, energetic, and innovative. Building designs, materials, and furnishings were innovative. Several of the zones were arranged in a semicircular pattern, centered on the Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz-designed Theme Center, which consisted of two all-white, landmark monumental buildings, the Trylon and the Perisphere, both of which can be accessed through moving stairs and exited via a curved walkway called the Heliline. Many exhibits were affected when World War II broke out four months into the 1939 World’s Fair, especially those in the Axis-occupied pavilions. In 1940, many of the Fair’s exhibits were demolished or removed, though some buildings were preserved for the 1964–1965 fair.
The Westinghouse Time Capsule was one of the first exhibits to attract attention, which wasn’t planned to be opened until 6939 (five millennia). There were many other items in the time capsule, including a Mickey Mouse watch, a Gillette safety razor, a kewpie doll, a dollar, a pack of Camel cigarettes, millions of pages of text on microfilm, and more. Additionally, the capsule contained seeds from common foods used at the time: alfalfa, barley, carrots, corn, cotton, flax, oats, rice, soybeans, sugar beets, tobacco, and wheat. The Fair hosted “Superman Day” on July 3, 1940. The event featured an athletic contest and a public appearance by Superman, played by an unknown actor. Although Ray Middleton, a judge for the contest, is often credited with wearing the Superman costume on Superman Day, he did not; however, he may have played Superman during a live radio broadcast.
#1 The World’s Fair buildings now nearing completion over seven miles away (upper right) can be seen in the distance from the top of the Empire State Building in New York, on February 27, 1939.
#2 A view taken from the side of one of the many lagoons at the New York World’s Fair on July 7, 1939.
#3 With New York City as a backdrop, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (first car) proceed up the Westside highway along the Hudson en route to the New York World’s Fair.
#4 A workman at New York World’s Fair repaints the famed Perisphere, on June 6, 1939.
#5 Rosalie Fairbanks, a guide to the New York World’s Fair, points to the theme of the exposition — the Trylon and Perisphere — in New York on February 22, 1939,
#6 An aerial view of the 1939 New York World’s Fair site during construction in Flushing Meadows, Queens, on May 17, 1938.
#7 Shifts covering full 24-hour period were in effect as work was rushed on the filling in of land for the New York World’s Fair in Flushing, New York, on December 16, 1936.
#8 During construction, a bridge leads from the administration building to the exhibit area of the New York World’s Fair, on February 21, 1938.
#9 Arlene Warner, “queen of beauty” of Elgin, Illinois, presides at the opening ceremonies of the Elgin Time Observatory at the New York World’s Fair on May 10, 1938.
#10 The Russian pavilion at the New York World’s fair, one of the last exhibits to be completed for opening of the exposition on April 30, 1939.
#11 The Coronation Scot, in America for the New York World’s Fair, made several runs between Washington and Baltimore, where she awakened considerable interest.
#12 Flanked by Boy Scouts, President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened New York’s $160,000,000 World’s Fair with an address in which he said America has “hitched her wagon to a star of good will”, on April 30, 1939.
#13 Some of the 35,000 guests of honor who listened to the opening speeches in the Court of Peace at the New York World’s Fair, on April 30, 1939.
#14 Visitors ascend the “electric stairway” in the Hall of Power at the Westinghouse Building at the World’s Fair, on May 8, 1939.
#15 Jamming every inch of space in the huge Hall of Electrical Living at the Westinghouse Building at the World’s Fair.
#16 Prominent representatives of the state of Washington look at a diorama of Grand Coulee dam, part of their state’s exhibit at the New York World’s Fair on May 1, 1939,
#17 A World’s Fair night views of Consolidated Edison’s fountains, on June 24, 1939.
#18 Presentations are made to Britain’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in the British Pavilion, during their visit to the fair in New York, on June 19, 1939.
#19 Color view of the 1939 World’s Fair. Corona gate with Bulova clock, ca 1939.
#20 The entrance to General Motors’ Exhibit at the New York World’s Fair of 1939-1940. The exhibit attracted nearly 25 million visitors.
#21 Futurama, the model city of 1960, designed by Norman Bel Geddes for the General Motors Exhibit at the New York World’s Fair in 1939.
#22 “The Road of Tomorrow,” an elevated highway of cork and rubber composition, at the Ford Exhibit at New York’s World Fair in 1939.
#23 Lines to enter the fair at Flushing Gate, on October 27, 1940.
#24 The National Cash Register Building at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#25 Workers in an exhibit use modern techniques to package bacon for Swift Premium Meats.
#26 Jack Sheridan’s “Living Magazine Covers” exhibition, where, for a fee, one could enter and photograph topless models posing in sets designed to look like contemporary magazine covers.
#27 Ford Motor Building entrance, May 12, 1939.
#28 Poland’s pavilion at the New York World’s Fair.
#29 Members of the New York World’s Fair staff, on a tractor train in 1939.
#30 World’s Fair, railroad pageant. Final curtain, May 27, 1939.
#31 A closer view of the end of the railroad pageant, as a “woman of the future”, center, brings together performers representing past and present, on May 27, 1939.
#32 An overhead view of the expansive fairgrounds in June of 1940.
#33 Statue of George Washington on the fairgrounds, on the 150th anniversary of his inauguration.
#34 Swimmers in Billy Roses “Aquacade” at the Marine Amphitheater at the New York World’s Fair, on June 10, 1939.
#35 General Motors Building with the B. F. Goodrich Tire Building in the left background.
#36 Crowds surround a new television in the RCA exhibit at the 1939 World’s Fair.
#37 The waterfall exit of the Electrical Utilities Building
#38 General night view of the World’s Fair, New York City, September 15, 1939.
#39 The second and last season of this edition of the New York World’s Fair closed on October 27, 1940.
#40 A March, 1940 aerial view of the World’s Fair grounds.
#41 Formerly a New York World’s fair excursion bus, the “Spectroheliogram,” was converted after the fair closed to be used to shuttle WAACs to and from work at the armored force replacement training center, July 26, 1949 in Fort Knox, Kentucky
#42 Exterior view of the Administration Building for the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair.
#43 Models of the sculpture ‘Night’ by artist Paul Manship, created for the 1939-1940 World’s Fair.
#44 Scene in Queens, New York, before the April 30, 1939, grand opening of the World’s Fair.
#45 Administrative buildings designed for the 1939 World’s Fair.
#46 Craftsmen work on a huge diorama prior to the opening of the 1939 Worlds Fair.
#47 Craftsmen work on a huge architectural model of “the city of the future” at the 1939 World’s Fair.
#48 Preparing for the 1939 World’s Fair, New York.
#49 Preparing for the 1939 World’s Fair, New York.
#50 Working on General Motors’ “Futurama” exhibit— the city of the near future— at the 1939 World’s Fair.
#51 Display in the Ford Motor Company pavilion at the 1939 World’s fair.
#52 Exhibit featuring raw materials that go into making Ford automobiles, 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#53 Waxworks on display at the 1939 World’s Fair, including Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes (bottom middle) and Adolf Hitler.
#54 Exhibit featuring raw materials that go into making Ford automobiles, 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#55 Exhibit featuring raw materials that go into making Ford automobiles, 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#56 Architectural model created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#57 Architectural model created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#58 Architectural model created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#59 Architectural model created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#60 Architectural model created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#61 Architectural model for a textile building created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#62 Architectural model created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#63 Architectural model created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#64 Modernist symbols of the 1939 World’s Fair, the Trylon and the Perisphere— collectively called the “Theme Centre” of the expo.
#65 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#66 Amphitheater and Billy Rose Aquacade, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#67 Amphitheater and Billy Rose Aquacade, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#68 Amphitheater and Billy Rose Aquacade, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#69 Amphitheater and Billy Rose Aquacade, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#70 Amphitheater and Billy Rose Aquacade, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#71 Amphitheater and Billy Rose Aquacade, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#72 Ballantine Inn, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#73 French Pavilion on the Court of Peace with Trylon and Perisphere, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#74 French Pavilion on the Court of Peace, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#75 George Washington statue behind “Time and Fates of Man,” sundial, with the United States Federal Building in the background, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#76 Globe along the Court of States, in front of the West Virginia and Georgia buildings with tower of the USSR (Soviet) Pavilion above, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#77 The Avenue of Pioneers, looking toward the Schaefer Center, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#78 The Japan Pavilion next to the USSR (Soviet) Pavilion, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#79 The Lagoon of Nations with the Italian Pavilion in the rear, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#80 The New Jersey Building along the Court of States, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#81 The Pennsylvania Building along the Court of States with tower of the USSR (Soviet) Pavilion above, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#82 The Pennsylvania Building along the Court of States with tower of the USSR (Soviet) Pavilion above, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#83 The USSR (Soviet) Pavilion, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#84 Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#85 U.S. Marine Corps marching in front of the USSR (Soviet) Pavilion, 1939 New York World’s Fair
#86 Crowds make their way to various pavilions on opening day of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, which was built on the site of the 1939 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadow in Queens.
#87 Models from the CBS gameshow, “The Big Payoff,” Connie Mavis and Pat Conway ride The Parachute Jump, originally built for the 1939 World’s Fair, at Steeplechase Park.
#88 Models from the CBS gameshow, “The Big Payoff,” Pat Conway and Connie Mavis ride The Parachute Jump, originally built for the 1939 World’s Fair, at Steeplechase Park.
#89 Models from the CBS gameshow, “The Big Payoff,” Connie Mavis and Pat Conway ride The Parachute Jump.
#90 Overall view of the fairgrounds at the New York World’s Fair of 1939, New York. The USSR building’s statue of a worker is visible on the left, and the Trylon and Perisphere are visible in the center background.
#91 The Road of Tomorrow is envisioned at the Ford exposition on August 20 1939 at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens in New York City.
#92 Cary Grant and Phyllis Brooks at the Polaroid movie in the Chrysler Building at the New York’s World Fair.
#93 Steam locomotive ‘Minnetonka’ being exhibited at the 1939 New York World fair, USA, 7th September,1939.
#94 Two dancers at the 1939 World’s Fair, Dolores Irwin (left) and Marge Berk, sit in a patrol wagon after their arrest on the night of May 31, 1939-
#95 Giant Cash Register display, 1939
#96 View from 1939 World fair.
#97 President Franklin D. Roosevelt arriving at the 1939 World’s Fair with his son John and the U.S. Commissioner to the Fair, Edward J. Flynn.
#98 World’s Fair First TV News Story, 1939
In covering their first story by television, New York reporters got a foretaste of the future when the dedication ceromonies of the RCA Building at the New York World's Fair of 1939 were flashed eight miles through the air and reproduced in receivers at Radio City. This is an unretouched photograph of the building as it appeared on TV screens in Manhattan.
#99 View of traffic on their way to the World’s Fair, 1939
#100 Aerial View of Trylon and Perisphere
#101 World’s Fair Queens, New York World’s Fair, 1939
#102 New York World’s Fair, 1939
#103 The four-person Crosley small car at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.. It has two cylinders, goes 50 miles on a gallon of gas and costs $350.
#104 Exterior view of the General Electric Exhibit at the World’s Fair.
#105 Crowds of people and security staff, watching a carnival float carrying a western type horsedrawn tram and people dressed in 1890’s period costumes, drawn by a motor vehicle.
#106 A sports collage photomural at the WPA Community and Health Building, part of the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City.
#107 The city of light, exhibition presented by Con Edison at the 1939 New york World’s Fair. View of entrance and side of building.
#108 Train at the New York World’s Fair, 1939
#109 Entrance to BMT and FRT subways at 1939 NY World’s Fair.
#110 New York World’s Fair 1939. The bridge to the Administrator Building.
#111 New York World’s Fair Performance
#112 A road winds past one of the main buildings at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City.
#113 Side view of the Williiam Mason, a B & O locomotive and coal tender built in 1856. New York World’s Fair, 1939.
#114 The tower of the Glass Center glows at night during lighting testing for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City.
#115 Westinghouse Building at New York World’s Fair, 1939
#116 Du Pont Building at World’s Fair, 1939
#117 Decorative touches and unusual architecture disguise the GE power distribution plant at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#118 General view of the World’s Fair as seen from the Helicline of Theme Center.
#119 New York World’s Fair Celebration, 1939
#120 World’s Fair at night in New York City, 1939.
#121 General Motors sign in lights at World’s Fair in New York City, 1939.
#122 Einstein At World’s Fair
#123 This woman is displaying her artistic talents with the NTG Sun Worshippers at the World’s Fair, 1939
#124 View showing a group of actors in various costumes posed on the front of a steam engine.
#125 Two pairs of female jitterbug dancers at the World’s Fair, New York, 1939.
#126 An aerial view of the Goodrich (left) and General Motors (right) pavillions at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, Flushing Meadows, New York.
#127 Aerial view of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, New York City.
#128 People pair up and dance while Ozzie Nelson and his band perform on stage at the amusement area of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow Park.
#129 Aerial view of the grounds, and parking lot, of the World’s Fair, Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, 1939
#130 Virginia Stevenson (L) and Rivers Harrison imitate the pose of two of Frank Buch’s elephants at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, New York City.
#131 Crowd at the opening ceremony of New York World’s Fair. The Trylon and Perisphere are in the background.
#132 Four visitors look across the nave toward the unfinished sanctuary and choir at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York World’s Fair, 1938
#133 The first Westinghouse Time Capsule, a 7.5 foot capsule with an inner shell of heat-resistant glass, is inspected by two experts before being shipped to the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
#134 An unidentified building under construction in the summer of 1938 at the site of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens in New York City.
#135 A man and woman stand in front of a model of the site of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens in the summer of 1938 in New York City.
#136 Communications Building under construction in the summer of 1938 at the site of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens in New York City.
#137 The Trylon and Perisphere under construction in the summer of 1938 at the site of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens in New York City.
#138 A woman stands under a sea of flags during the construction of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens in the summer of 1938 in New York City.
#139 Elektro The Robot at the 1939 New York World’s Fair
Elektro the robot, displayed at the Westinghouse exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair, sings through his sound mechanism as his mouth opens and shuts, while Phyllis Van Deran and Beatrice Kochenderfer waves a baton, New York, New York, early to mid 20th century. The robot stands 7 feet tall and can perform 36 tricks.
