he 1939-40 New York World's Fair marks a significant moment in American history. As the nation looked backward over the scarred landscape of the Depression and outward to ominous clouds gathering in Europe, the Fair offered a vision of tomorrow that was clean, safe, and brimming with consumer goods. Under the shadow of the gleaming Perisphere and Trylon, the New York World's Fair depicted futuristic technologies such as television and the interstate highway system while displaying the crafts and products of its day.
With this online resource I offer a growing collection of images (both old and contemporary) used to visualize the Fair. Some appear in "official" literature designed to sell the idea of visiting the exposition to a world-wide audience; others come from advertisements, comics, and postcards with their momentary and specific appeals and recollections. From time to time, I have transcribed pertinent information from these materials that cannot be otherwise viewed. Mostly, though, the images speak for themselves -- and for a time of hope and promise that has not yet been forgotten. Incidentally, these images are just a small selection from a larger project that resulted in my book, New York's 1939-1940 World's Fair.
To navigate this site, simply select one of the options from the Main Menu window located at the upper left of your screen. When you select an option (eg., advertisements) a list of examples will appear in the Selections window. Click a selection and the image and accompanying text will appear in the main window. To return to this front page, select the trylon-perisphere button at the lower left of your screen. To learn more about the page maintainer, select the icon at the farthest lower left of your screen.
Enjoy the fair!