1939 New York World's Fair

Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox World's Fair The 1939 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair) was an international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activities, performances, films, art, and food presented by 62 nations, 35 U.S. states and territories, and 1,400 organizations and companies. Slightly more than 45 million people attended over two seasons. It was based on "the world of tomorrow", with an opening slogan of "Dawn of a New Day". The Template:Convert fairground consisted of seven color-coded zones, as well as two standalone focal exhibits. The fairground had about 375 buildings.

Plans for the 1939 World's Fair were first announced in September 1935, and the New York World's Fair Corporation (WFC) began constructing the fairground in June 1936. The fair opened on April 30, 1939, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the first inauguration of George Washington. World War II began four months into the 1939 World's Fair, forcing some exhibits to close. The fair attracted over 45 million visitors and ultimately recouped only 32% of its original cost. After the fair ended on October 27, 1940, most pavilions were demolished or removed, though some buildings were relocated or retained for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

The fair hosted many activities and cultural events. Participating governments, businesses, and organizations were celebrated on specific theme days. Musical performances took place in conjunction with the fair, and sculptures and artworks were displayed throughout the fairground and within pavilions. The fairground also displayed consumer products, including electronic devices, and there were dozens of restaurants and concession stands. The exposition spurred increased spending in New York City and indirectly influenced Queens' further development. Artifacts from the fair still exist, and the event has also been dramatized in media.

Development

New York City had hosted the United States' first world's fair, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, in 1853–1854.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city did not host another world's fair for 85 years.<ref name="p115677931">Template:Cite news</ref> The site of the 1939 World's Fair, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, was originally a natural wetland straddling the Flushing River<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> before becoming an ash dump in the early 20th century.Template:Sfn New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses first conceived the idea of developing a large park in Flushing Meadows in the 1920s.Template:Sfn Although the neighborhoods around Flushing Meadows contained residential developments, the meadow itself remained undeveloped and isolated.<ref name="p150752879">Template:Cite news</ref> Meanwhile, the 1933 Century of Progress exposition in Chicago had boosted that city's economy, prompting businesspeople in New York City to consider a similar fair.<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 729">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="p151083799">Template:Cite news</ref>

Planning

File:Valley of Ashes.jpg

The fairground site, which was an ash dump before the fair opened

The New York Times writes that the civil engineer Joseph Shadgen came up with the idea for the World's Fair in 1934, while talking with his daughter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By early 1935, a group led by the municipal reformer George McAneny was considering an international exposition in New York City in 1939.<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 729" /><ref name="p1329290149" /> Though the date coincided with the 150th anniversary of George Washington's first inauguration,<ref name="p1329290149">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Stern (1987) p. 727">Template:Harvnb</ref> Moses said the date was "an excuse and not the reason" for the fair.<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 727" /> That September, the group announced plans to spend $40 million to host an exhibition at the Template:Convert Flushing Meadows site.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The Flushing Meadows site had been selected because of its large size and central location,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and because the city already owned Template:Convert nearby.<ref name="nyt-1936-07-05">Template:Cite news</ref> The New York City Board of Estimate approved the use of Flushing Meadows as a fairground on September 23,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and Moses directed municipal draftsmen to survey the site.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Mayor Fiorello La Guardia pledged financial support for the fair that October,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and the New York World's Fair Corporation (WFC) was formed to oversee the exposition on October 22, 1936.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC elected McAneny as its president,<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 729" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and two contractors were hired that December to conduct preliminary surveys.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> State lawmaker Herbert Brownell Jr. introduced legislation in January 1936, which allowed the WFC to lease Flushing Meadows from the city government.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> By then, the fair was estimated to cost $45 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> To oversee the fair's development, McAneny organized a committee,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> which initially advocated for a single massive building.<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 729" /> The project remained stalled during early 1936,<ref name="p1222069230">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1032089018">Template:Cite magazine</ref> but the New York State Legislature ultimately voted in April to allow the city to lease out Flushing Meadows.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Grover Whalen replaced McAneny as the WFC's chairman in April 1936<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 729" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and was later elected as the agency's full-time president.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> J. Franklin Bell drew preliminary plans for the fair,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the WFC appointed seven menTemplate:Efn to devise a plan for the fairground.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="p1237468680">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> At the end of the month, the city government announced plans to sell $7 million in bonds, and the state pledged $4.125 million for the project.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the WFC issued $26,862,800 in bonds.<ref name="p1266858992a">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The New York City Board of Estimate appropriated $308,020 to begin landscaping the site that May,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and city officials acquired another Template:Convert through eminent domain.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC dedicated the fairground site on June 4, 1936,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> shortly before the city finalized its lease of Flushing Meadows to the WFC.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Construction

Work on the World's Fair site began on June 16, 1936,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and a groundbreaking ceremony for the fairground took place on June 29.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC established seven departments and thirteen committees to coordinate the fair's development.<ref name="nyt-1936-07-05" /> The fair was planned to employ 35,000 people.<ref name="p1222354319">Template:Cite news</ref> The construction of the fairground involved leveling the ash mounds, excavating Meadow and Willow lakes, and diverting much of the Flushing River into underground culverts.<ref>Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The dirt from the lake sites was used as additional topsoil for the park.<ref name="NYTimes-QnsPkRising-1936">Template:Cite news</ref> Workers also transported soil from Westchester County, New York, to the fairground.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Four hundred fifty workers were employed on three eight-hour shifts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The rebuilt landscape was to be retained after the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> The city, state, and federal governments also worked on 48 infrastructure-improvement projects, such as highway and landscaping projects, for the fair.<ref name="Whalen p. 28">Template:Harvnb</ref>

To promote the fair, the WFC established advisory committees with members from every U.S. state.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Several baseball teams wore patches promoting the fair during the 1938 Major League Baseball season,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> while the businessman Howard Hughes named an airplane after the fair and flew it around the world in 1938.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Helen Huntington Hull led a women's committee that helped promote and develop the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> New York license plates from 1938 were supposed to have slogans advertising the fair,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but a city judge deemed the slogans unconstitutional.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> New York license plates from 1939 and 1940 also advertised the fair.<ref>Template:Unbulleted list citebundle</ref> Local retailers also sold more than $40 million worth of merchandise with World's Fair motifs,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the U.S. government issued stamps depicting the fair's Trylon and Perisphere.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> World leaders delivered "greetings to the fair" as part of the "Salute of the Nations" radio program,<ref>Template:Cite magazine; Template:Cite news</ref> and the WFC also broadcast 15-minute-long "invitations to the fair", featuring musical entertainments and a speech by Gibson.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition, the WFC distributed a promotional film, Let's Go to the Fair.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

1936 and 1937

File:Frank Buck's Jungleland (souvenir booklet).jpg

Souvenir booklet

The WFC's board of design reviewed several proposed master plans for the site,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the corporation had relocated the last occupants of the fairground site by August 1936.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC launched a design competition for several pavilions that September<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and selected several winning designs two months later.<ref>Template:Cite magazine; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The WFC announced details of the fair's master plan that October, which called for a $125 million exposition themed to "the world of tomorrow".<ref name="p128793649">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1240271438">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Later that month, the WFC signed construction contracts for the fairground's first building.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> At that point, only a small number of fairground buildings had been approved.<ref name="p1222354319" />

In November 1936, France became the first nation to announce its participation,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the city government began selling bonds for the fair.<ref>Template:Cite magazine; Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The International Convention Bureau endorsed the 1939 World's Fair, allowing the bureau's 21 member countries to host exhibits there.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lehman also invited the governors of other U.S. states.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> By the beginning of 1937, eleven hundred concessionaires had applied for concessions at the fair,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and nine buildings were under construction.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC unveiled a model of the fairground at its Empire State Building headquarters that March.<ref>Template:Cite magazine; Template:Cite news</ref> Workers had finished grading and filling the World's Fair site by April,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and they began planting trees.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> That month, AT&T became the first company to lease a pavilion at the fair,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1240320660">Template:Cite news</ref> and work officially began on the first building, the administration structure.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the WFC began auctioning off the fairground's concession spaces,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and workers also began planting trees in early 1937.<ref name="Patterson p. 87">Template:Harvnb</ref>

Whalen announced plans in June 1937 for a Template:Convert amusement zone at the south end of the fairground,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and work on the first non-commercial pavilion, the Temple of Peace, began in July.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By then, 89 buildings were under construction,<ref name="n152131011">Template:Cite news</ref> and 86% of the fairground sites had been leased.<ref name="n152131011" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Utah became the first U.S. state to lease space in the fair's Hall of States that September,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> while Missouri was the first state to lease space for a standalone building.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Whalen also traveled to Europe to invite European countries to the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Various fairground buildings were being developed, as well as the Trylon and Perisphere, the fair's icons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="n152184001">Template:Cite news</ref> That December, the Ford Motor Company became the first automobile manufacturer to lease space at the fair;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> by then, the WFC had received commitments from 60 nations.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>

1938 and 1939

File:USA, New York Fortepan 16924.jpg

The General Motors pavilion

The WFC awarded the first fair concession in January 1938.<ref name="p1337043993">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> At that point, Whalen was making plans for the fair's opening ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Whalen wanted to have 100 buildings under construction by the end of April,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the WFC planned to spend $10 million upgrading the utilities.<ref name="p514781950">Template:Cite news</ref> Work on the Perisphere, the fair's theme building, began in early April,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> along with work on the first foreign-government structure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same month, the WFC leased out the last vacant sites in the fair's Government Zone.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The city hosted a parade with one million spectators on April 30, 1938, exactly a year before the planned opening,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and the WFC hosted a fireworks show the next week.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> That May, the WFC began allowing visitors to inspect the fairground on weekends for a fee.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The structures were all supposed to be completed by the end of March 1939, giving one month for exhibitors to fit their pavilions out.<ref name="p1032170337">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The WFC awarded contracts to 30 amusement-ride operators in June 1938, following months of disputes over the concessions.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The WFC continued to issue concessions for eateries and amusement rides.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> By late 1938, workers were painting murals on buildings, and the subway stations serving the fairground were being completed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That October, the Heinz Dome became the first commercial exhibit to be completed,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and 80% of the fairground's Template:Convert of exhibit space had been leased.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1032170337" /> Leasing lagged in the amusement zone; by that December, only two-thirds of the ride concessions had been leased.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Whalen announced in January 1939 that the fairground was more than 90% complete,<ref name="Whalen p. 28" /><ref name="p1243107723" /> though work on one-third of the amusement concessions had not started.<ref name="p1243107723">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The fair had attracted 1,300 industrial exhibitors and 70 concessionaires.<ref name="Whalen p. 28" /> In addition, 62 nations and 35 U.S. states or territories had leased space at the fair.<ref name="Whalen p. 28" /> That March, Whalen announced plans to spend $1 million on shows and miniature villages in the Amusement Area.<ref name="p1257476186">Template:Cite news</ref> The lights on the fairground were first turned on three weeks before the fair's scheduled opening.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> In conjunction with the fair, La Guardia issued a proclamation declaring April 1939 as "Dress Up and Paint Up Month" in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Sixteen thousand workers were putting final touches on the site by mid-April,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and foreign nations were delivering $100 million worth of exhibits to the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Thousands of additional workers were employed toward the end of April.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Operation

The fairground ultimately cost Template:US$, and Whalen anticipated that 60 million people would visit.<ref name="p1796267678">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Five major newsreel companies were hired to provide newsreel coverage,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and the Crosley Corporation and WNYC both had radio broadcasting studios there.<ref name="p1014928343">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The WFC hired Exposition Publications to print a guidebook, souvenir book, and daily programs,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and it promoted 17 other books and news stories about the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) retroactively recognized the 1939 World's Fair as an official World Expo, even though the BIE's rules permitted official Expos to run for only one year.Template:Sfn

Whalen agreed to hire only union laborers to install exhibits on the fairground; in exchange, several trade unions agreed to buy the WFC's bonds.<ref name="p1796831853">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Free emergency services were provided on site by dozens of doctors and nurses,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and there were six first-aid stations, a mobile X-ray machine, and five ambulances.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The fairground was covered by a temporary New York City Police Department (NYPD) precinct<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and a temporary New York City Fire Department (FDNY) battalion.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the Queens County Court was temporarily expanded to hear criminal cases relating to the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>

1939 season

Preparations and opening

File:H.R.H. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit the Canadian Pavilion at the World's Fair.jpg

CitationClass=web }}</ref>

For the 1939 season, the WFC charged 75 cents per adult and 25 cents per child; the agency also sold season tickets, multi-visit tickets, and souvenir ticket books.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Manhattan's borough president, Stanley M. Isaacs, had wanted the WFC to give students free admission, but Moses opposed the proposal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Whalen began selling discounted advance tickets in February 1939,<ref name="p1247544481">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> which were sold by 1,000 retailers in the New York metropolitan area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Journalists could visit the fairground free of charge, but no other free tickets were distributed.<ref name="p1247544481" /> The WFC had to print additional souvenir books due to high demand.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Though there was an upcharge fee for some of the exhibits and attractions, three-fourths of the original attractions did not charge any extra fees.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On April 30, 1939, exactly 150 years after Washington's first inauguration,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the fair formally opened with a speech by President Roosevelt.<ref name="n154235089">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1247102690">Template:Cite news</ref> The fair received 600,000 visitors on its first day, far short of the one million visitors that the WFC had predicted.<ref name="n154235089" /><ref name="p1247102690" /> Many major attractions in the Amusement Area were incomplete,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1505713328">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and only 80% of the structures were ready.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The fair accommodated one million visitors in its first four days.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> By mid-May, the fair was 90% finished, but many of the amusement attractions were still incomplete.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The WFC's operations department oversaw the remaining work.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

May to October

In early May, the WFC began selling 10-cent children's tickets once a week,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> which helped increase children's attendance significantly.<ref name="NYT 1939 e020">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At La Guardia's behest,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the New York City Board of Education operated guided tours in which school classes could visit the fair for free.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC opened more restaurants late that May.<ref name="nyt-1939-05-18">Template:Cite news</ref> Several exhibitors alleged that labor unions had charged exorbitant prices for labor at the fair,<ref name="p1796831853" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and, due to concerns over sexually explicit content, several of the fair's shows were raided.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That June, the WFC established a committee to oversee the amusement area,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and amusement concessionaires agreed to offer discounted ride tickets once a week.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC also sold discounted 50-cent tickets to organizations and businesses.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="p1322112646">Template:Cite news</ref>

Lower-than-expected attendance prompted Whalen to fire hundreds of employees in July 1939,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and there were also proposals to reduce performers' salaries.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The same month, the WFC began selling discounted "combination tickets" with snacks and admission to multiple attractions,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> as well as "bargain books", with food vouchers and admission tickets.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> At the request of amusement-ride operators,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the WFC also considered reducing admission prices.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> At the beginning of August, admission was reduced during weekends,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="p1032198816">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and the WFC started selling discounted tickets at night.<ref name="p1032198816" /><ref name="p1322112646" /> With daily attendance averaging 129,000—less than half the original estimate of 270,000—the WFC was unsure if the fair would run for another season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By mid-August, the WFC was asking bondholders to lend more money,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the bondholders agreed to forgo their right to collect a portion of the fair's admission revenue.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A writer for Variety magazine said local residents tended to avoid the fair's restaurants and that the amusement area deterred visitors with more refined tastes.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In September 1939, the WFC began inviting foreign exhibitors to return for the second season,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and it notified the city government of its intention to extend its lease.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Carrier Corporation was the first industrial exhibitor to renew its lease.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While numerous foreign exhibitors curtailed their operations,<ref name="p1325006175">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1032201266">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Whalen traveled to Europe, asking exhibitors to return for the following season.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="NYT 1939 m181">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the final weeks of the 1939 season, visitors increasingly came from outside the New York City area.<ref name="NYT 1939 m181" /> The final week was celebrated with a Mardi Gras–themed festival.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> When the first season ended on October 31, 1939,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> the WFC had recorded 25,817,265 paying guests.<ref name="p13200805912">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Attendance had exceeded 100,000 on 114 days,<ref name="p1032227139">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and the fair employed up to 25,000 people during that season.<ref name="Shalett f326">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the end of the first season, the WFC owed bondholders $23.5 million, and it had $1.13 million on hand.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the fair had handled 8.52 million phone calls and 3.3 million pieces of mail.<ref name="n155152087">Template:Cite news</ref> Around 150 fairgoers had been arrested during the first season,Template:Efn only one of whom was charged with a felony.<ref name="NYT 1939 p459">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>

Off-season

File:World's Fair. LOC gsc.5a30743.jpg

View of the fairground

After the 1939 season ended, many exhibits were removed for safekeeping and the fairground's utilities were turned off.<ref name="Shalett f326" /><ref name="p1243147272">Template:Cite news</ref> Most of the fair's 2,800 employees were reassigned to other positions,<ref name="NYT 1939 p459" /> though the WFC hired a skeleton crew and allocated $3.3 million to maintain the fairground during the off-season.<ref name="Shalett f326" /><ref name="p1243147272" /> The FDNY and NYPD watched over the fairground, and many exhibitors also hired their own security guards.<ref name="Shalett f326" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Because of lower-than-expected attendance,<ref name="p964511165">Template:Cite news</ref> the WFC agreed to reduce adult admission prices to 50 cents.<ref name="p1032201266" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC agreed to redesign the Amusement Area to emphasize the rides there.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}; Template:Cite magazine</ref> The corporation also tried to attract visitors within an overnight drive from New York City, rather than guests from further afield.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

At the requests of several U.S. state exhibitors,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> the WFC halved rent rates for U.S. state pavilions during the second season.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Despite the uncertainty caused by the ongoing war, many European countries expressed interest in returning.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite magazine</ref> In January 1940, Finland became the first country to agree to reopen its pavilion,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> while West Virginia was the first U.S. state to lease additional space.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> More than thirty nations had agreed to return by the end of the next month,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> though 11 nations<ref name="p1264087284">Template:Cite news</ref> and nine U.S. states withdrew.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Most commercial exhibitors agreed to reopen their exhibits.<ref name="p1243147272" /><ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Almost all major exhibitors with their own pavilions renewed their leases for the 1940 season, while most of the exhibitors who had withdrawn were more likely to be renting space from the WFC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The fair was rebranded as the World's Fair 1940 in New York for its second season.<ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC decided to focus more heavily on amusement attractions,<ref name="p280741436">Template:Cite news</ref> and it added theaters and free shows.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p515558146" /> The Amusement Area was reduced in size<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and rebranded as the "Great White Way", a reference to Broadway theatre.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1335119347">Template:Cite news</ref> The transportation zone was renovated for more than $2 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several exhibits were added or expanded,<ref name="p1335119347" /><ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and some pavilions were repaired.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Low-cost eateries were also added.<ref name="p515558146">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="NYT 1940 x765">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The fair's construction superintendent estimated that the upgrades would cost $8 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC began selling one million souvenir ticket books on April 11, 1940,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the next week, it began selling discounted tickets to students across the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By the end of April, all of the attractions in the Amusement Area had been leased,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and half a million advance tickets had been sold or ordered.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1940 season

Originally, the second season was supposed to open on May 25, 1940,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but following requests from organizations, the WFC agreed to open the fair two weeks earlier.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The fair's police force was downsized due to low crime rates,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the overall number of staff was reduced to 5,500.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to Gibson, at least 40 million visitors needed to attend during 1940 for the WFC to break even.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="p515258672">Template:Cite news</ref> In contrast to the more formal atmosphere that had characterized the first season, the second season had a more informal, "folksy" atmosphere.<ref name="p515258672" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Additionally, the international area included exhibits from 43 countries, plus the Pan-American Union and League of Nations.<ref name="p1264087284" /> Adults paid 50 cents, while children paid 25 cents;<ref name="p515558146" /><ref name="p1253151121">Template:Cite news</ref> children's admission was reduced to 10 cents on "Children's Days".<ref name="p515558146" /> To entice people to attend the fair, several local business groups and hotels randomly gave 170 automobiles to visitors.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The World's Fair reopened on May 11<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and recorded 191,196 visitors on that day.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Early in the 1940 season, the WFC sold off most of its outstanding debt from the previous season.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>

By the end of June, revenue was lagging projections,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> so the WFC dismissed 500 employees.<ref name="n156015638">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Due to an increase in federal tax rates, amusement concessionaires increased ticket prices.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The fair's restaurateurs elected to pay the extra taxes rather than raise food prices.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On July 4, 1940, two NYPD officers investigating a time bomb at the British Pavilion died when the bomb detonated.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Later the same month, the WFC began surveying the fair's buildings, with plans to demolish them.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In large part due to inclement weather, some concessionaires considered closing their attractions that August.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Attendance lagged by nearly 3 million compared with the previous season.<ref name="Bird z428">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bondholders agreed to waive $14.5 million of the WFC's debt.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC also began selling off materials and memorabilia from the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Daily attendance increased gradually, reaching 10 million visitors by the end of August;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> by then, Gibson said the fair had made over $2.5 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The WFC had drawn up detailed plans for clearing the site by the beginning of October,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the corporation's executive leadership oversaw the site-clearing process.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

To promote the fair, hundreds of American newspapers printed discounted tickets;<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the promotion attracted nearly 350,000 visitors on a single day.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The city government also provided free tickets to adults who were receiving welfare payments through the Home Relief program.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By the middle of that month, the fair's second season had recorded a $4.15 million net profit.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the fair's last week, the WFC hosted extravagant shows such as fireworks displays.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The fair had 537,952 visitors on its final day, October 27, 1940.<ref name="p1320064105">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The day afterward, passersby were allowed to tour the grounds for $2.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In total, the fair had recorded 19,115,713 million visitors during 1940,<ref name="p13200805912" /><ref name="p1032227139" /> and attendance had exceeded 100,000 on only 59 days.<ref name="p1032227139" /> The fair had attracted just over 45 million visitors across both seasons.<ref name="p1320064105" />Template:Sfn The 1940 season also recorded little crime, with 96 arrests; the July 4 bombing had been the only violent crime.<ref name="NYT 1940 w933">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

• 1939 World's Fair ephemera
• 1939-40 World's Fair, New York ticket (front).jpg

  This 1940 general admission ticket also included visits to "5 concessions" (listed on backside)

• Back of 1940 New York Worlds Fair Ticket.jpg

  Ticket backside

• US 853.jpg

  Trylon and Perisphere on 1939 US stamp

Fairground

File:Worlds-fair-map.jpg

Map showing exhibit locations and transportation access

The fairground was divided into seven geographic or thematic zones, five of which had "focal exhibits", and there were two focal exhibits housed in their own buildings.Template:Sfn<ref name="p1247102690" /> The plan called for wide tree-lined pathways converging on the Trylon and Perisphere, the fair's symbol and primary theme center.<ref name="NYTimes-QnsPkRising-1936" /><ref name="Stern (1987) p. 730" /> The Trylon and Perisphere were the only structures on the fairground that were painted completely white;<ref name="nyt-1938-07-10">Template:Cite news</ref> the buildings in the surrounding zones were color-coded.<ref name="nyt-1938-05-01">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The fairground had Template:Convert of sidewalks and Template:Convert of roads, in addition to dozens of miles of sewers, water mains, gas mains, and electrical ducts.<ref name="nyt-1938-07-10" /> About 850 phone booths were scattered across the fairground.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There were 11 entrances to the grounds during the 1939 season,<ref name="p1796267678" /><ref name="p1247102690" /> and 13 entrances during the 1940 season.<ref name="p1253151121" />

Landscape features

From the start, Moses wanted to convert the site into a park after the fair,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the fairground's landscape architect, Gilmore David Clarke, had designed the fairground with this expectation in mind.<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 730">Template:Harvnb</ref> The central portion of the old ash dumps became the main fairground, while the southern section of the dumps became the Amusement Area.<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 730" /> The fairground used up to Template:Convert of topsoil, as well as salty, acidic soil dredged from the bottoms of the lagoons.<ref name="Patterson p. 87" /> The fairground included Template:Convert of lawns and a wide range of topiary and deciduous trees.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Around 10,000 trees were transplanted to the fairground,<ref name="Patterson p. 87" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> of which more than 97 percent survived the 1939 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There were no evergreen trees because it was not open during the winter, and the site also did not have rare plants.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

The fairground contained one million plants, one million bulbs, 250,000 shrubs, and 10,000 trees.<ref name="p1247102690" /> The site had 7,000 American camassias, 48,000 scillas, and 50,000 narcissi, and there were several formal gardens as well, with roses, yew, and other plants.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, the Netherlands donated one million tulip bulbs;<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p151216843">Template:Cite news</ref> as part of an agreement with the Dutch government, the tulips were destroyed and replaced with summertime plantings the month after the 1939 season opened.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Washington Post estimated that the WFC spent some Template:US$ on plants at the fair.<ref name="p151216843" /> There were also around 50 landscaped gardens.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Some of these fountains included water features such as fountains, pools, and brooks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For the 1940 season, annuals and trees were added instead of the tulips,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and a woodland garden was added.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Despite the fair's futuristic theme, the fairground's layout—with streets radiating from the theme center—was heavily inspired by classical architecture.<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 730" /> Some streets were named after notable Manhattan thoroughfares or American historical figures, while others were named based on their function.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> A central esplanade called Constitution Mall was planned as part of the fairground,<ref name="p514938936">Template:Cite news</ref> running between the Grand Central Parkway to the west and Lawrence Street to the east.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A curving road named Rainbow Avenue connected the color-coded zones.<ref name="p1247102690" /><ref name="p514938936" /> At the eastern end of the mall was the Central Mall Lagoon, an Template:Convert elliptical lake with fountains.<ref name="nyt-1938-07-10" /><ref name="p514938936" /> In the southern half of the fairground, the Flushing River was dredged to create Meadow and Willow lakes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nyt-1938-07-10" /> Several of the fair's fountains had illuminated water jets with gas burners.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Nightly light shows, with music, took place at the Lagoon of Nations as well.<ref name="p515258672" />

Pavilions and attractionsTemplate:Anchor

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Pavilions and attractions generally fell into one of three categories: exhibits sponsored by either the WFC or private companies, government exhibits, and amusement attractions.<ref name="p514938936" /> The WFC subleased the land to exhibitors, charging different rates based on the sites' proximity to major paths.<ref name="p1240320660" /> There were 1,500 exhibitors on the fair's opening day, representing about 40 industries.<ref name="p1247102690" />

The fair had about 375 buildings,Template:Efn of which 100 were developed by the WFC.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> The commission reserved about Template:Convert for its own structures.<ref name="p1032170337" /> The buildings included design features such as domes, spirals, buttresses, porticos, rotundas, tall pylons, and corkscrew-shaped ramps.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Hamlin p. 675">Template:Harvnb</ref> Many buildings' steel frames were bolted together so they could be easily disassembled.<ref name="nyt-1938-05-01" /><ref name="p1247324294">Template:Cite news</ref> Most of the attractions were in the central exhibit area, covering Template:Convert.<ref name="p514781950" /><ref name="p1247102690" /> Because the fairground was built atop swampy land, many of the largest buildings were placed on steel-and-concrete decks, pilings, or caissons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Whalen p. 29">Template:Harvnb</ref> The pavilions were mostly illuminated by artificial light fixtures,<ref name="Hamlin p. 675" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> including fluorescent lighting tubes, mercury lamps, and fluorescent pylons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The fairground also had a marina, as well as hundreds of fountains, toilets, and benches.<ref name="nyt-1938-05-01" />

Zones

The Trylon and Perisphere theme center, designed by Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> consisted of a Template:Convert tower and a Template:Convert sphere.<ref name="Harrison Cusker 1980 p. 79">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Efn North of the theme center was the Communications and Business Systems Zone.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Community Interest Zone, immediately to the east,Template:Sfn showcased several trades or industries that were popular among the public at the time.Template:Sfn The Government Zone occupied the east end of the fair; it contained a centrally located Court of Peace, a Lagoon of Nations, and a smaller Court of States.Template:Sfn<ref name="p514938936" /> Southwest of the Government Zone was the Food Zone, composed of 13 buildings related to that industry.Template:Sfn

The Production and Distribution Zone was dedicated to showcasing industries that specialized in manufacturing and distribution.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Transportation Zone was located west of the Theme Center, across the Grand Central Parkway,Template:Sfn connected to the rest of the fairground by two crossings.<ref name="p514938936" /> The Transportation Zone included large exhibits for the motor-vehicle aviation, railroad, and maritime industries.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Amusement Area was located south of the World's Fair Boulevard, on a horseshoe-shaped site surrounding Meadow Lake,<ref name="p1257476186" /> and it was divided into more than a dozen themed zones.<ref name="n152184001" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The Amusement Area contained numerous bars, restaurants, miniature villages, musical programs, dance floors, rides, and arcade attractions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1257476186" />

Standalone exhibits and structures

Two focal exhibits were not located within any zone. The first was the Medical and Public Health Building on Constitution Mall and the Avenue of Patriots (immediately northeast of the Theme Center), which contained several halls dedicated to health.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The other was the Science and Education Building, just north of the Medical and Public Health Building.Template:Sfn The administration building was at the western end of the fairground,<ref name="p1247045732">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and there was also a Manufacturers Trust bank branch.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Transportation

File:Mets 2 vc.jpg

The Willets Point station on the Flushing Line was rebuilt for the fair.<ref name="p1240588402a">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>

Several public transit lines were built or upgraded to serve the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Independent Subway System's (IND) World's Fair Line, specially built for the exposition,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> was dismantled after the fair ended.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Willets Point station on the Flushing Line was rebuilt to handle fair traffic on the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) and Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit (BMT) systems.<ref name="NYSun-INDWorldsFair-Feb19392">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="p1240588402a" /> A special fleet of 50 World's Fair Lo-V subway cars were built,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and the existing Q-type Queens subway cars were rebuilt to provide additional service on the Flushing Line.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A Long Island Rail Road station (now Mets–Willets Point) was built next to the Flushing Line station.<ref name="NYSun-INDWorldsFair-Feb19392" /> In addition, Queens-Nassau Transit Lines bought 55 buses to serve passengers heading to the fairground,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and a water taxi service traveled to the fair from City Island, Bronx.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

There were also several modes of transit traveling around the fairground itself.<ref name="p1244862453a" /><ref name="nyt-1939-04-30" /> General Motors manufactured 100 buses specifically for the fair;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Exposition Greyhound Lines operated the buses, which connected with each of the fairground's entrances<ref name="p1244862453a">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-1939-04-30">Template:Cite news</ref> and operated along seven routes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There were also tractor trains that traveled along the fairground's paths, as well as tour buses that gave one-hour-long tours of the fair. In addition, visitors could rent one of 500 rolling chairs, each of which had space for one or two people.<ref name="p1244862453a" /><ref name="nyt-1939-04-30" /> Boats also traveled around Fountain Lake (now Meadow Lake), stopping at seven piers.<ref name="nyt-1939-04-30" /> For a fee, visitors could ride a 40-passenger motorboat across Meadow Lake to the Florida pavilion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Several highways and roads were widened or extended in advance of the World's Fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Markers were placed throughout the city to direct motorists to the fairground,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and several highways were outfitted with amber lights.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Maps also touted the fairground's proximity to five airports and seaplane bases.<ref name="p1248455293">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Efn During the fair, the Civil Aeronautics Authority temporarily banned most planes from flying over the fairground, except for planes taking off or arriving at the nearby airports.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>

Culture

Themes and iconsTemplate:Anchor

The fair was themed to "the world of tomorrow".<ref name="p128793649" /><ref name="p1240271438" /> The colors blue and orange, the official colors of New York City, were chosen as the official colors of the fair.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The fair's official seal depicted the Statue of Liberty with her torch, which was available in multiple color schemes.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The fair's official flag was originally a triband with a blue bar flanked by orange bars; there was a white seal in the center of the blue bar.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref>

Another theme of the fair was the emerging new middle class. The Westinghouse Electric Corporation produced the film The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair, which depicted a fictional Midwestern family, the Middletons, taking in the fair.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Perisphere's Democracity exhibition envisioned middle-class "Pleasantvilles" arranged around a central hub.<ref name="Goldberger 1980 c337" />

Arts

Music

The WFC established a music advisory committee for the fair in 1937, which was led by the conductor Allen Wardwell.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The music advisory committee proposed hosting a festival at the fairground and other places in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> About 500 groups signed up to perform at the fair,<ref name="NYT 1940 z750">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and music festivals also took place at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House in Manhattan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> New York Times music critic Olin Downes was the fair's music director;<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> he selected Hugh Ross to organize recitals and concerts at the Temple of Religion.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Eugene La Barre led the World's Fair band, which was composed of 56 musicians,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the WFC held a competition to select three songs for the band to perform.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Unlike in the 1939 season, the fair had no organized music program during 1940. Instead, the fair's orchestra played songs on request during 1940; on an average day, they received more than 1,200 requests and played over 200 songs.<ref name="NYT 1940 z750" />

Several theme songs were written for the fair, none of which caught on.<ref name="p1475961670">Template:Cite magazine</ref> William Grant Still recorded the song "Rising Tide",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn a three-minute tune that was played continuously during the 1939 season.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> "Dawn of a New Day", one of George Gershwin's final songs, was also recorded for the fair.<ref name="p1475961670" /><ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> La Barre's "For Peace and Freedom" was selected as the 1940 season's theme song.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Films and stage shows

The fair hosted eight musical shows during the 1939 season and seven musicals during 1940.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For instance, Billy Rose staged his Aquacade musical,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and the fair had a musical pageant called the American Jubilee.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Exhibitors screened 612 films during the first season.<ref name="Wasson p. 92">Template:Harvnb</ref> The fair had 34 auditoriums during the 1939 season, which were operated by the governments of 19 nations, industrial exhibitors, and city-government agencies.<ref name="Wasson p. 92" /> During the 1940 season, the fairground had 30 cinemas with an estimated 6,200 seats.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The fair showcased not only feature films but also non-theatrical motion pictures, including both silent films and sound films.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> These motion pictures were all shot on 16 mm and 35 mm film.<ref name="Wasson p. 92" /><ref name=":0" />

Visual art and sculpture

File:Archives of American Art - Abraham Lishinsky and assistants working on mural - 2918.jpg

Some buildings had mural decorations. Pictured is the painter Abraham Lishinsky and his assistants working on one such mural.

From the outset, the fairground was planned to include decorations,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> particularly large murals, sculptures, and reliefs.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Initially, however, there were no plans to exhibit contemporary art at the fair.<ref name="p1243712934" /><ref name="p151070539">Template:Cite news</ref> After observers criticized the fair's lack of formal art galleries, Whalen agreed to include a community art center,<ref name="p1243712934">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and the WFC also held art competitions for muralists and sculptors.<ref name="p151070539" /> Eight hundred contemporary American artworks of the 48 states were exhibited at the fair during 1939,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and a rotating display of American art was showcased in 1940.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the Masterpieces of Art building, there were hundreds of rare paintings.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the 1940 season, even more paintings were shown.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC bought some of the fair's artwork and distributed it across the U.S. after the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition, foreign governments sponsored exhibits of sculptures and visual art in their respective pavilions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> IBM's pavilion hosted contemporary art from 79 countries, the most popular of which was the Filipino artist Fernando Amorsolo's painting Afternoon Meal of Rice Workers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Whalen, who was determined that the fair should "not represent the work of any one person or school", employed 181 visual artists, designers, and architects.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Many of the buildings' facades were decorated with murals, commissioned by both the WFC and individual exhibitors<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-1938-09-11">Template:Cite news</ref> in about 100 colors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There were about 105 murals at the fair,<ref name="p280741436" /> which measured as large as Template:Convert. The murals were executed in a variety of materials, such as metal strips, mosaic tiles, and paint. The WFC's board of design approved murals based on how well they harmonized with the surrounding buildings.<ref name="nyt-1938-09-11" /> Union members painted the actual murals.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The New York Times called it "the largest program of exterior mural painting ever undertaken",<ref name="nyt-1938-09-11" /> while the New York Herald Tribune said that "never before has mural decoration been attempted on so large or lively a scale".<ref name="nyt-1938-09-11" /> Works Progress Administration artists painted murals for the fair as well.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ernest Peixotto oversaw the development of the murals and the fair's color-coding system.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The fair also included 174 sculptures.<ref name="p280741436" /> The largest statue at the fair was James Earle Fraser's Template:Convert sculpture of George Washington,<ref name="nyt-1938-12-11">Template:Cite news</ref> which stood in the middle of the fair's Constitution Mall.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Times credited Lee Lawrie—who oversaw the installation of the fair's artwork—with describing the sculptures as "an essential part of the fair".<ref name="nyt-1938-12-11" /> Three of the sculptures were intended to be preserved after the fair: Robert Foster's Textile, Lawrence Tenney Stevens's The Tree of Life, and Waylande Gregory's Fountain of the Atom.<ref name="nyt-1938-12-11" /> Various temporary sculptures, many of which were made of plaster, were placed on buildings.<ref name="nyt-1938-12-11" />

Consumer products

File:VODER demonstrated on 1939 New York World Fair - Audition! Hearing themselves as others heard them - Bell Telephone Quarterly (January 1940).jpg

Voder, a keyboard-operated speech synthesizer, was demonstrated at the fair.

The fair focused significantly on consumer products that happened to include scientific innovations, rather than presenting scientific innovations in their own right.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Products shown at the fair included RCA televisions, a Crosley vehicle from 1940, and a Novachord organ manufactured by The Hammond Organ Company.<ref name="Goldberger 1980 c337" /> There were also exhibits of nylon, cellophane, and Lucite.<ref name="p280741436" /> Other objects included Vermeer's painting The Milkmaid,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a pencil sharpener,<ref name="Hiott j216">Template:Cite book</ref> the White Manna diner,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> General Motors' model city Futurama,<ref name="Hiott j216" />Template:Sfn and the Nimatron computer game.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In addition, older objects were displayed at the fair, such as a model of the world's first bicycle.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Electronics were showcased at the fair. The IBM exhibit displayed the Radiotype writing machine, and RCA displayed various types of machinery in a "television laboratory".<ref name="p1014928343" /> RCA and NBC agreed to host television demonstrations at the World's Fair.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> These TVs displayed several programs, including the first televised Major League Baseball game; a program from WRGB-TV in Schenectady, New York; and performances of the play When We Are Married.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Westinghouse's exhibit featured Elektro the Moto-Man, a robot that talked, differentiated colors, and smoked cigarettes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bell Labs' Voder, a keyboard-operated speech synthesizer, was demonstrated at the fair.<ref name="p280741436" />Template:Sfn Other futuristic exhibits included General Electric's home of tomorrow, as well as the 15 homes in the Tomorrow Town exhibit.<ref name="p280741436" />

Food

The fair had at least 40 restaurants with a combined 23,000 seats, in addition to 261 refreshment stands, during the 1939 season.<ref name="nyt-1939-05-28" /> Cuisine from 24 participating countries was served at the fair.<ref name="p1247108615" /> These included caviar in the Romanian and Polish pavilions; borscht, blini, and pelmeni from the Soviet pavilion; soufflés from the French pavilion; smorgasbords from the Swedish pavilion; and kebabs and honey desserts from the Albanian pavilion.<ref name="p1247108615">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nyt-1939-05-28">Template:Cite news</ref> A New York Times article from 1964 characterized bicarbonate of soda as the 1939 fair's most popular soda.<ref name="nyt-1964-04-222">Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC also awarded quick-service food concessions to companies such as Childs Restaurants, Longchamps, and the Brass Rail.<ref name="nyt-1939-05-032" /> The concessions included 80 hot-dog stands,<ref name="p1505713328" /> in addition to 59 soda stalls, 38 root beer stands, and 25 popcorn stands.<ref name="p1337043993" />

The city government also appointed 36 inspectors to enforce food safety at the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the fair's first season, there were complaints that the food was too expensive;<ref name="nyt-1939-05-18" /> one New York Times report found that restaurants were charging as much as Template:US$ for à la carte meals.<ref name="nyt-1939-05-032">Template:Cite news</ref> For the 1940 season, there were 70 restaurants and between 150 and 235 concession stands.<ref name="p1253151121" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The WFC introduced regulations during the second season, restricting restaurateurs from drastically increasing food prices.<ref name="NYT 1940 x765" /> Throughout both seasons, the fair sold an estimated 16.2 million hot dogs, 8.3 million burgers, 5.1 million doughnuts, and 2.7 million cups of beer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other events

Participating countries, U.S. states and territories, New York counties, businesses, and organizations were given special theme days at the fair, during which celebrations were held.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> A different button was issued for each theme day.Template:Sfn During the fair, there were fireworks displays on the lagoon, as well as colorful searchlights illuminating Meadow Lake.<ref name="p514938936" />

The fair coincided with the 1st World Science Fiction Convention,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> which took place at the Caravan Hall in Manhattan on July 2–4, 1939.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, on July 3, 1940, the fair hosted "Superman Day",<ref name="n156015638" /><ref name="Weldon y718">Template:Cite book</ref> which included an athletic contest and an appearance by an actor portraying Superman.<ref name="Weldon y718" /> Sporting events throughout the New York City area were also planned in conjunction with the World's Fair,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the WFC sponsored a sports camp for boys during both seasons.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Aftermath

Site and structures

File:2-Billy-Rose-Aquacade-Worlds-Fair-1939.jpg

The Billy Rose's Aquacade amphitheater, one of the few structures to remain after the fair

Template:Further Demolition began the day after the fair ended.<ref name="p1262386905">Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Almost all structures had to be removed within 120 days of the fair's closure,<ref name="p1247324294" /><ref name="p515377595">Template:Cite news</ref> and the vast majority of structures were dismantled or moved shortly after the fair's final day.<ref name="p1247324294a">Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Valuable exhibits, artwork, and historic artifacts were relocated.<ref name="p1262386905" /> Within a month of the fair's closure, many of the structures had been demolished and workers were restoring the landscape.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Cables and other materials were removed and sold for scrap,<ref name="p1247324294" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and there were proposals to melt down the buildings' structural steel into scrap metal for the U.S. war effort.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the fair's demolition, five men were killed when one of the buildings' ceilings collapsed.<ref name="p1263338699">Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Despite a citywide moratorium on new construction, La Guardia provided funding to convert the fairground into parkland,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> although only $750,000 was provided for this purpose.<ref name="p1263340467">Template:Cite news</ref> Work on the park began in December 1940,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Flushing Meadows Park opened the next year.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The site hosted the 1964 New York World's Fair before it again became a park in 1967.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The NYPD's Flushing Meadows precinct was disbanded in 1952,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but the Queens traffic division (which had been established to manage traffic during the fair) continued until 1972.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Seven structures were preserved as part of the park.<ref name="p515377595" /><ref name="p1247324294a" />Template:Efn By the 1960s, only two of the fair's original structures remained, the New York City Pavilion and the Billy Rose's Aquacade amphitheater,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> though the Aquacade was torn down in the 1990s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The fair's esplanade, five bridges, and the World's Fair Marina were preserved as well,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but the fountains were demolished.<ref name="p1247324294" /> Many amusement rides were sold to Luna Park at Coney Island;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the Parachute Jump was sold and relocated to Steeplechase Park, also in Coney Island.<ref>Template:Cite magazine; Template:Cite news</ref> Other buildings that were relocated included a structure from the fair's Town of Tomorrow exhibit,<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> as well as the Belgian Building.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Some of the buildings' glass bricks were salvaged and used elsewhere.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Furniture, equipment, and decorations were sold off.<ref name="p1247324294" />

Foreign exhibits and staff

File:Italian Pavilion Worlds Fair 1939 LOC gsc.5a30830.jpg

There were several unsuccessful attempts to give away a monument from the Italian pavilion (pictured).

Initially, the U.S. government had not imposed customs duties on foreign exhibits because it anticipated that the exhibits would be repatriated after the fair.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Customs duties were imposed on exhibits that remained in the U.S. after the fair.<ref name="NYT 1941 n001" /> Afterward, the exhibits could be sent back to their home country, retained in the U.S., destroyed, or sold.<ref name="p1247324294" /><ref name="NYT 1941 n001" /> However, many nations could not send their exhibits back home due to World War II,<ref name="NYT 1941 n001">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="p12430550972">Template:Cite news</ref> and President Roosevelt had temporarily frozen the assets of seven foreign exhibitors whose countries had been invaded.<ref name="p1264428384">Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many European pavilions' staff were also unable to return home due to the war;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The New York Times estimated that 350 foreign staffers could not easily return home,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while the New York Herald Tribune put the number of affected employees at 400.<ref name="p13200926812" /> In response, U.S. representative John J. Delaney introduced legislation in October 1940 to allow these workers to remain in the U.S.<ref name="p12430550972" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Several countries in German-occupied Europe donated or lent their World's Fair exhibits to institutions across the United States.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Most of the Polish pavilion's items were sold by the Polish government-in-exile to the Polish Museum of America, except for the monument of the Polish–Lithuanian King Jagiełło. which was reinstalled in Central Park.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The British pavilion's copy of the Magna Carta remained in the U.S.,<ref name="p1325203253">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and a panel from that pavilion depicting George Washington's lineage was sent to the Library of Congress.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, some French artwork displayed at the fair was lent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and other artwork from that pavilion was displayed at the Riverside Museum.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Three French restaurants from the fair—La Caravelle, Le Pavillon, and La Côte Basque—reopened in Manhattan.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Objects from the Swedish, Turkish, and Canadian pavilions were also retained in New York City.<ref name="p13200926812">Template:Cite news</ref>

The WFC also had to dispose of Axis countries' exhibits. The U.S. government seized the Italian State Railways' train display and melted it down for scrap,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while it sold off binoculars from the Czechoslovak pavilion and wine from the Rumania pavilion to pay customs duties.<ref name="p1325203253" /> There were several unsuccessful attempts to give away the Italian pavilion's Guglielmo Marconi monument,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the Hungarian pavilion's statue of Saint Istvan was not given away until 1956.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Profitability and dissolution of WFC

When the fair closed, the WFC initially predicted that the fair would recoup 38.4% of its cost,<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> later revised to 39.2%.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The WFC ultimately recovered only 32% of its original expenditure.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite the fair's overall unprofitability, the Amusement Area recorded a net profit.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In total, the WFC earned $3.9 million during the 1939 season and $3.4 million during the 1940 season.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The WFC paid bondholders $2.08 million in early 1941<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and made their final payments to bondholders in June 1942.<ref name="p1266858992a" /> For several years, the WFC retained a small staff to close out its financial accounts.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The corporation was not formally dissolved until August 1944;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> at the time of its dissolution, the WFC owed shareholders $19 million.<ref name="p1266858992a" /><ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Impact

Reception

File:USA, New York Fortepan 16943.jpg

Visitors at the fair

The Washington Post wrote in 1936, as the fair was still being developed, that the fair would give New York City a permanent public park, while "visitors will get an eyeful beyond their fondest imagination and the hotel-keepers will get a pocketful" of money.<ref name="p150752879" /> The New York Times said that the event would "still be a great fair", even if half the buildings were never built.<ref name="nyt-1938-05-01" /> Another newspaper wrote that the fair, along with the Golden Gate Exposition, would be "two stunning examples of science in action".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Just before the fair opened, The Scotsman wrote that, despite the ongoing Nazi conquest of Europe, workers at the 1939 fair "still [believed] the world of to-day has possibilities of progress".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Upon the fair's opening, a Washington Post writer praised the fairground's futuristic architecture and landscaping, even while stating that "there is also architecture on which the classicist can rest his peepers".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The New York Times reported that European countries regarded the fair as an opportunity to display "its particular political views before the American public under the guise of good-will and commercial display".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In an August 1939 Gallup poll of the fair's visitors, 84% of respondents said they wanted to return, while only 3% disliked the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

When the fair closed, the Baltimore Sun wrote in 1940 that "the World's Fair was devoted to the arts of peace, and this is time of war".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A decade after the fair, one writer for the New York Herald Tribune said the expo had "become for many of us a symbol of the past", in large part because of the war that followed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1964, one New York Times writer said the 1939 fair had been envisioned in an era "that had in its calendar no World War II, no Hiroshima, no Korea, no fires in Africa and Asia".<ref name="nyt-1964-04-222" /> The design critic Paul Goldberger, writing in 1980, described the fair as significant for its products and architecture,<ref name="Goldberger 1980 c337">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while a Newsday critic wrote that the fair had provided hope at a time when everyone was fearful of the war.<ref name="p964511165" /> Robert A. M. Stern wrote in his 1987 book New York 1930 that "the fair was seen as little more than a transitory good-time place".<ref name="Stern (1987) p. 727" />

Economic and regional influence

To limit excessive real-estate development around the fairground, city officials requested in early 1936 that the neighborhoods around Flushing Meadows be rezoned as residential areas.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> The city approved restrictions in 1937, preventing the construction of high-rise buildings around the site<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> and regulating businesses from operating within Template:Convert of the fairground.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> One New York Times writer wrote in 1938 that, although residential development in Queens was increasing, this was due to the presence of new transport links, rather than because of the fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the fair began, commercial activity around Flushing, Queens, also increased, and real-estate prices there increased several times over.<ref name="p115677931" />

Grover Whalen predicted that the fair would attract 50 million visitors, who would spend $1 billion in total.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> Numerous retailers on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan renovated their buildings for the fair,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and room rates at local hotels were also increased.<ref>Template:Cite news; Template:Cite news</ref> By May 1939, real-estate figures predicted that the fair would earn between $1 billion and $1.5 billion for the city's economy.<ref name="p1796267678" /> The state legislature predicted that the fair would spur business throughout New York state,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Whalen predicted that the fair would increase total spending across the U.S. by $10 billion.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> During the fair, the New York state government sought to attract visitors to other parts of the state, such as the Finger Lakes, Adirondack Mountains, and Catskill Mountains.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During the 1939 season, New York City saw both increased vehicular traffic and public-transit use, even though the city actually had fewer commuters (continuing a decade-long trend).<ref>Template:Cite news; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Vehicular traffic in Manhattan south of 61st Street increased during the fair,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as did hotel-room bookings in the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The exposition also spurred increased spending in New York City and was indirectly connected with Queens' further development.<ref name="p115677931" /> Although most tourists to New York City in 1939 came specifically for the fair, the rest of the city also saw increased tourism in 1940.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Media and archives

File:New York World's Fair Tie Clip.jpg

Private collectors have amassed a large amount of fair-related memorabilia. Pictured is a souvenir tie clip owned by the late jazz musician Harry Gozzard.

After the fair, documents and films from the event were sent to the New York Public Library.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., described the 1939 fair in its 2010–2011 exhibition Designing Tomorrow: America's World's Fairs of the 1930s,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> while the Queens Museum hosted a retrospective exhibit about the fair in 1980.<ref name="p964511165" /><ref name="Goldberger 1980 c337" /> Private collectors have amassed a large amount of memorabilia from the fair. These ephemera include print media such as guidebooks, posters, and programs, in addition to everyday objects such as pens, ashtrays, maps, and puzzles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 1939 New York World's Fair has been dramatized in books such as David Gelernter's 1995 novel 1939: The Lost World of the Fair.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There have also been several nonfiction books about the fair, including Barbara Cohen, Steven Heller, and Seymour Chwast's 1989 book Trylon and Perisphere<ref name="p280741436" /> and James Mauro's 2010 book Twilight at the World of Tomorrow.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition, objects and footage from the event are shown in the 1984 documentary The World of Tomorrow.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations – 1853 World's Fair in Bryant Park, New York City
• List of world expositions

References

Sources

• Template:Cite Power Broker
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite New York 1930
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite journal
• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite journal
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• New York World's 1939–1940 records, 1935–1945 Manuscripts and Archives, New York Public Library.
• WNYC Broadcasts from the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair