Perisphere Entrance, 1939 New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair, entrance to Perisphere photographed by Samuel H. Gottscho. The 1939-40 New York World's Fair, which covered the 1,216 acres of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, was the second largest 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. The NYWF of 1939-1940 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". Although the United States would not enter the Second World War until the end of 1941, the fairgrounds served as a window into the troubles overseas. Countries under the thumb of the Axis powers in Europe in 1940 like Poland, Czechoslovakia, and France ran their pavilions with a special nationalistic pride. The only major world power that did not participate for the 1939 season was Germany, citing budget pressures. The USSR Pavilion was dismantled after the first season, leaving an empty lot called "The American Commons". The 1939 World's Fair made a strong impression on attendees and influenced a generation of Americans.
Size: 3300px × 4081px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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