On April 30, 1939, while New York was still recovering from the Great Depression, the World’s Fair of 1939 opened in Flushing Meadows, Queens. It was attended by over 44 milllion visitors, and was the second largest Worlds Fair in history (after the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair).
Just as the world was about to explode into another world war, the New York World’s Fair gave its visitors a vision of the future–the “World of Tomorrow.” it featured advances in robotics, television, new gadgets and pavilions from most countries in the world.
It’s a vision of the future that still inspires and frightens us.
Attached is two official films of the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Though they are silent, they contain text cels and provide amongst the best primary source material on this important cultural event.
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