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On April 30, 1939, The New York World's Fair opened.
Last edited Fri May 1, 2020, 12:15 PM - Edit history (2)
By the time it closed, the world had changed.
After introduction of TV in New York City today 1939, NBC-RCA ad on “What Television Will Mean to You!"
Link to tweet
FDR makes first Presidential speech ever on TV, today 1939, opening New York World’s Fair on 150th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration:
Link to tweet
Theme of 1939 New York World’s Fair was “The World of Tomorrow,” and that world turned out to be World War II:
Link to tweet
Lucky Strike and Wonder Bread/Hostess pavilions at 1939 New York World’s Fair:
Link to tweet
Mon Apr 30, 2018: On this day in 1939, the New York World's Fair opened
1939 New York World's Fair
Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline photo by Sam Gottscho
Venue: Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
Coordinates: 40°44?38.5?N 73°50?39.9?W
Opening: April 30, 1939
Closure: October 27, 1940
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair was a world's fair held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States. It was the second most expensive American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people attended its exhibits in two seasons.[2] It was the first exposition to be based on the future, with an opening slogan of "Dawn of a New Day", and it allowed all visitors to take a look at "the world of tomorrow".
When World War II began six months into the 1939 World's Fair, many exhibits were affected, especially those on display in the pavilions of countries under Axis occupation. After the close of the fair in 1940, many exhibits were demolished or removed, though some buildings were retained for the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, held at the same site.
{snip}
Grand opening
On April 30, 1939, a very hot Sunday, the fair had its grand opening, with 206,000 people in attendance. The April 30 date coincided with the 150th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration, in Lower Manhattan, as the first President of the United States. Although many of the pavilions and other facilities were not quite ready for this opening, it was put on with pomp and great celebration.
Plans for the United States Navy Fleet to visit New York City for the opening of the fair following manoeuvers in the Caribbean were cancelled, however, due to aggressive moves being made by Japan in the South China Sea, and the fleet instead transferred to the Pacific via the Panama Canal in April.
David Sarnoff, then president of RCA and a strong advocate of television, chose to introduce television to the mass public at the RCA pavilion. As a reflection of the wide range of technological innovation on parade at the fair, Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech was not only broadcast over the various radio networks but also was televised along with other parts of the opening ceremony and other events at the fair. On April 30, 1939, the opening ceremony and President Roosevelt's speech were seen on black and white television sets with 5 to 12-inch tubes. NBC used the event to inaugurate regularly scheduled television broadcasts in New York City over their station W2XBS (now WNBC). An estimated 1,000 people viewed the Roosevelt telecast on about 200 television sets scattered throughout the New York metropolitan area.
In order to convince skeptical visitors that the television sets were not a trick, one set was made with a transparent case so that the internal components could be seen. As part of the exhibit at the RCA pavilion, visitors could see themselves on television. There were also television demonstrations at the General Electric and Westinghouse pavilions. During this formal introduction at the fair, television sets became available for public purchase at various stores in the New York City area.
After Albert Einstein gave a speech that discussed cosmic rays, the fair's lights were ceremonially lit. Dignitaries received a special Opening Day Program which contained their names written in Braille.
Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline photo by Sam Gottscho
Venue: Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
Coordinates: 40°44?38.5?N 73°50?39.9?W
Opening: April 30, 1939
Closure: October 27, 1940
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair was a world's fair held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States. It was the second most expensive American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people attended its exhibits in two seasons.[2] It was the first exposition to be based on the future, with an opening slogan of "Dawn of a New Day", and it allowed all visitors to take a look at "the world of tomorrow".
When World War II began six months into the 1939 World's Fair, many exhibits were affected, especially those on display in the pavilions of countries under Axis occupation. After the close of the fair in 1940, many exhibits were demolished or removed, though some buildings were retained for the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, held at the same site.
{snip}
Grand opening
On April 30, 1939, a very hot Sunday, the fair had its grand opening, with 206,000 people in attendance. The April 30 date coincided with the 150th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration, in Lower Manhattan, as the first President of the United States. Although many of the pavilions and other facilities were not quite ready for this opening, it was put on with pomp and great celebration.
Plans for the United States Navy Fleet to visit New York City for the opening of the fair following manoeuvers in the Caribbean were cancelled, however, due to aggressive moves being made by Japan in the South China Sea, and the fleet instead transferred to the Pacific via the Panama Canal in April.
David Sarnoff, then president of RCA and a strong advocate of television, chose to introduce television to the mass public at the RCA pavilion. As a reflection of the wide range of technological innovation on parade at the fair, Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech was not only broadcast over the various radio networks but also was televised along with other parts of the opening ceremony and other events at the fair. On April 30, 1939, the opening ceremony and President Roosevelt's speech were seen on black and white television sets with 5 to 12-inch tubes. NBC used the event to inaugurate regularly scheduled television broadcasts in New York City over their station W2XBS (now WNBC). An estimated 1,000 people viewed the Roosevelt telecast on about 200 television sets scattered throughout the New York metropolitan area.
In order to convince skeptical visitors that the television sets were not a trick, one set was made with a transparent case so that the internal components could be seen. As part of the exhibit at the RCA pavilion, visitors could see themselves on television. There were also television demonstrations at the General Electric and Westinghouse pavilions. During this formal introduction at the fair, television sets became available for public purchase at various stores in the New York City area.
After Albert Einstein gave a speech that discussed cosmic rays, the fair's lights were ceremonially lit. Dignitaries received a special Opening Day Program which contained their names written in Braille.
New York World's Fair Opened (1939)
4,743 views•Apr 13, 2014
British Pathé
1.52M subscribers
Full titles read: "NEW YORK'S WORLD'S FAIR OPENED"
1939 NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR NEWSREEL "WORLD OF TOMORROW" 72342
49,717 views•May 12, 2015
PeriscopeFilm
201K subscribers
Support Our Channel : https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm
This newsreel of the 1939 New York's World's Fair shows some of the highlights of the fair, ...
{snip}
Color!
JDProductions2
Published on Aug 24, 2007
Amateur color footage of people at the World's Fair.
Music: "All The Things You Are" by Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
Worlds Fair 1939 New York USA
56,850 views•Nov 17, 2012
Geography Video
9.94K subscribers
Worlds Fair 1939 New York USA
Fascinating of the 1939-1949 New York World's Fair. Great examples of architecture and what they thought the future would be like. I added the music as there was no sound from the old film. Can anybody help me identify some of these artists, some have faded from my memory to be honest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_New_York_World's_Fair
119,688 views•Jun 10, 2008
Raptoreagletube
216 subscribers
Original Serie's
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
My grandmother told me that she and my grandfather took the kids to the World's Fair and this must have been the one since they were living in Albany at the time. My Dad would have been just a kid, but I wish that I'd asked him about it, especially since my parents took my brother and me to yet another World's Fair, also in New York - and I remember some of it at just about the very same age. 
