Here's some grand footage from both fairs, which were held on the same grounds 25 years apart. In both cases, Americans naively thought all the world's problems could be solved by modernity, living color and fast diversions.
Here's the 1939-40 World's Fair, whose pavillions tended to celebrate governments and food—appropriate themes following the Depression...
Here are home movies of people at the 1939-40 fair...
Here's an odd film of Swing dancing at the 1939-40 fair...
Here's a news report on the building of the 1964-65 fair...
Here's another documentary from Pathe...
Here's a home movie...
And here's one of my favorites, an ad for a special tourquois and orange subway line that took you directly out to the fair using the 7 line to Flushing...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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