New York Worlds Fair (Originally Written For Mizar 5)

I wrote this post 11 years ago today, back in 2005. I was looking for a post I did in that time period and found this, on Gina in Belgium's Mizar 5.

I decided that since I found it, I would give it a home here on my blog, too. I am especially frustrated that the wayback machine archive only has the first page of her posts, by month and year. If she had many posts that month, they get lost. Well, this one has been found. Yay team.

If you have a good memory, I posted a brief ENTRY with this photo, that I took off a video. It is of my family at the NY World's Fair. Yes, we are eating Eskimo Bars. :-)

Enjoy.

3/10/05

Nigey Lennon wrote an article in her Mizar 5 column “With A Gun” about a tour she took visiting forgotten sites in New York. A recent visit was the New York World’s Fair site. It got me to thinking about that time and that place. I was born and raised in NY and so my perspective reflects that point of view. In 1964 I was a 9 year old girl, taken to that World’s Fair by my family. Obviously, I have a child’s memory of the fair, but the overall feel of the event was unmistakable. As those lyrics of Donald Fagen’s IGY attest to, yes the future looked very bright. The auto makers showed these wonderful modern cars, GE had the Carousel of Progress (which we would later see for decades at Disneyland). Showing off not only where we came from, but where we were headed, going into that “bright” future. I remember being scared as I waited on line to see that exhibit. The building moved around in a circle and it was the only time I ever had that happen. As a matter of fact, it seemed a true “Flag waving” event, at least to this child. Patriotism abounded. Look how wonderful we are and how much we have given the world. Obviously, that naive opinion has drastically been changed by current events and the cynicism of 40 more years under my belt. I’m sure you can understand.

What I remember….

Number one is The Alaska Pavilion!

What the heck are you talking about, I am sure you are thinking and rightly so. Well, at the age of 9 what else would someone remember with such fondness, then an Eskimo Bar on a hot NY day in mid July. My Dad bought those bars and we sat there eating them. We have movie pictures of us out front and yes, we were happy children. OK, enough of that.

Actually, the first memory I have is the monorail. That sleek train of the future, quietly gliding around this large lake (Flushing Meadow Lake?) to the front gate of the fair. If I remember correctly, that was where the Unisphere was situated, with flags around it. I assume there were ticket counters, but of course, I don’t remember such things. I don’t think we rode the Monorail, which may have had to do with a separate fee or something. I remember a tire ferris wheel, was it Goodyear, Uniroyal, Firestone? To this child it was just huge! I remember the NY State Pavilion, those 3 towers, one higher then the next (they ended up in the climatic final scene of “Men in Black”). There was a Port Authority Building that had a heliport at the top. There was a restaurant in the lower part of the building a sort of squat square thing, eventually called Terrace in the Park. My High School had it’s Prom there. The big 3 automakers each had an exhibit. GM, Ford and Chrysler. Ford had their convertible car as the seat for the ride through their exhibit. I remember waiting on line for it. Strange memories I have. I should go onto the Internet and try to find out what was really there. I do believe we went both years. My youngest brother, who was was 2 at the time, was still in the stroller. He has no memories at all, though the last time I visited him he mentioned walking around the grounds, recently. Similar to Nigey, I think.

Nigey Lennon had a few links to information on the Fair and I did manage to see some of it, including a map of the park. Pretty impressive thing. Lots of exhibits from other countries, but I honestly don’t remember them at all. Then again, how much could a family of 6 see in one day, especially with such young children. That probably explains some of why I felt it was such an American Event, we didn’t see all that much. I should try to view our old film of the World’s Fair. That might be interesting, after seeing the map.

Thank you Nigey, for resurrecting some very old memories.

angel