1964/65 World's Fair
(and others 1960s fairs)
130) Alweg Monorail Feasibility Study
A proposal for a monorail at the 1964 World's Fair, and post-fair, based on the Alweg monorail at Disneyland. Ultimately the Fair monorail was built by AMF.
129) State of Illinois (Abraham Lincoln) Maintenance Manual
From Bob Gurr's library is his file copy of the maintenance manual for the State of Illinois exhibit featuring Disney's Abraham Lincoln audio-animatronic.
128) GE Management Conference Script - Carousel of Progress Update
13 page script for Walt's appearance by film at a GE Management Conference in The Bahamas to discuss the Carousel of Progress
127) Progressland Orientation Manual
Training manual for 1965 season -
182 pages
126) It's A Small World Preview Tickets
Pristine condition tickets for one week before the iconic attraction officially opened on 4/22/1964
125) Electrical Specifications Guide
74 pages of electrical specifications for Fair pavilions prepared by GE
124) Miss Unisphere Booklet
15 page booklet showcasing the contestants in the 1965 Miss Unisphere contest.
123) Charter Bus & Taxi Planning
June 1961 study of parking and space needs for charter buses and taxis at the Fair prepared by the Port Authority
122) Metropolitan Transit & Planning
March 1964 edition of trade magazine for metropolitan transit industry with World's Fair cover
121) 1964/65 MTA Annual Report
New York City Transit Authority annual report for fiscal period 1964/65 with pages on revenues from the Fair
120) 1962 Alweg
World's Fair Brochure
Small brochure touting the benefits of the monorail and how progressive the Seattle fair is to construct it for the fair
119) Tower of Light
Press kit, two press releases and brochure for the World's Fair Pavilion sponsored by utilities
115) 1962 Seattle World's Fair Gold Pass
For Charles de Gaulle.
Believe never presented or used
114) Jack Kochman Hell Drivers
20-page brochure for this car stunt show at the 1964 World's Fair
112) Carousel of Progress Reference Photos
Three group of reference photos for the first three acts of the Carousel of Progress at the 1964 World's Fair.
111) Telephone Directory and Employee Guide Archive
Archive of documents related to phone numbers, events and pavilions from an employee binder
110) Sea Hunt Souvenir Program
Program for the Sea Hunt live action show at the Transportation and Travel Pavilion
109) Pinkerton's Brochure & Application
Pinkerton's provided many services at the Fair and this is a brochure covering the many opportunities and a job application.
108) 1964 World's Fair Demolition Archive
Multiple memos and letters (copies) dated before the fair opened regarding demolition costs for after the Fair ended.
107) 1964 World's Fair Pan - American Highway Exhibit
5 pages related to the construction of an exhibit about the Inter-American / Pan-American Highway (for more about that click here). Avis ultimately sponsored it but according to this small archive Disney was originally going to be invovled
106) 1964 World's Fair Operations Manual
70 page overview of general operating procedures.
105) 1962 Century 21 Presentation Booklet
43-page flip book presenting the rationale, designs and main sections of the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle.
104) AMF 1963 Annual Report
The 1963 annual report form the company that made the 1964 WF monorail - which is featured on the cover.
103) Carousel of Progress GE Shareholder Pass
An original pass for GE shareholders to visit the Carousel between 9-10am
102) Preliminary Revenue And Expense Estimates From 1960
A very early look at Fair financials from 1960 - completed by consulting engineer firm MADIGAN-HYLAND of NYC
101) International Exhibit Brochure in Russian and English
Group of items enclosed in a WF Director's Meeting folder from 6/22/64. The items are, unfortunately, a bit underwhelming and do not seem very special for a Board meeting.
100) Board of Director's Meeting Packet
Group of items enclosed in a WF Director's Meeting folder from 6/22/64. The items are, unfortunately, a bit underwhelming and do not seem very special for a Board meeting.
99) Radio / TV Press Kit
Media press kit - apparently sent to The Merv Griffin Show - with information sheets, brochures, and ad copy
98) Opening Day Press Kit
Used press kit from the Fair's opening day - chock full of press releases -including a fair amount of duplicates.
97) Florida Pavilion
State of Florida published update on plans for its pavilion.
96) Flushing Meadows & Beyond
Oversized report prepared by the 1964 WF Coro detailing plans for Flushing Meadow park after the fair is over.
95) United Nations Park
An intriguing, odd August 1965 memo from the President of the Charter Hotel Corp suggesting the 1964 World's Fair become converted into a park/fair for NYC instead of being demolished
94) May 1964 Memos To Robert Moses
Two memos to Robert Moses from May 1964 regarding the status from state exhibits and various staff changes - with salaries!
93) 1962-63 Pavilion and Exhibit Plans
Series of memos detailing plans for the companies and countries planning on pavilions and exhibits.
92) 1962 Seattle Fair Observations
Very interesting, 23 page report from ad agency rep who visited the 1962 Seattle Fair and recorded his observations for the 1964 WF Corp.
91) New Mexico Pavilion
Agreement between state of New Mexico & NYWF Corp. dated 9/19/63 for a spot at the Fair. This is not the original but a copy from the era.
90) It's A Small World Cast Member Guide
Disney-Booklet for "Ambassadors of Happiness", employees at the 1964 World's Fair who operated It's a Small World.
89) World's Fair Disney Retrospective
1984 WED publication celebrating the company's achievements at the Fair. This booklet is relatively crude by Disney standards.
88) 64 WF Fair Audience Estimate Report
Outside consultant's report estimating attendance size of the fair, when visitors will go, where they will come from and how they will get there.
87) Ford Times Magazine
May 1965 edition of the Ford corporate magazine with a section on the World's Fair.
86) Fun At The Fair
Short, colorful brochure with some fair highlights and a map.
85) 46 Great Drinks
Booklet of drink recipes that come from "New York's top bartenders, both in town and at the fair".
84) Food At The Fair
Short brochure highlighting some of the food available at the fair.
82) Progressland Press Kit
GE Press kit chock full of press releases, photos and other materials related to the company's Progressland pavilion. Includes a 45 of There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.
81) Progressland Press Kit V2
A variation of the GE Progressland press kit with different mix of materials
79) SInclair Dinosaurs
Sinclair Oil's fair pavilion featured dinosaur replicas and this brochure profiles each type.
78) Delta World's Fair Itinerary
Booklet published by Delta airlines detailing a recommended three-day itinerary at the fair.
77) Progressland Brochure
Overview of the Disney-designed GE pavilion where the Carousel of Progress was introduced.
76) 1965 Reopening Invitation
Booklet for the events of April 21, 1965 when the Fair reopened for year two. Includes original mailing envelope and transmittal letter which is dated 4/23/1965 and signed by Robert Moses.
75) GM Futurama Booklet
Heavily illustrated booklet with details on GM's Futurama and Avenue of Progress attractions inside the company's pavilion.
74) GM Futurama Booklet #2
Larger variation of Futurama booklet - this one is populated with photographs instead of illustrations.
73) 1963 GM Annual Report
The report for this year features an illustration of the Futurama pavilion on the cover.
72) Greyhound Fair Map
Two variations of fair maps with recommended bus and "glide-a-ride" tour paths published by Greyhound.
71) Pop-Up Book
Wonderfully illustrated pop-up book featuring iconic areas of the fair.
70) Time-Life Preview
Chet Huntley and David Brinkley wrote articles for this special publication about behind-the-scenes of the Fair's construction.
69) Use of Theme & Symbol of Progressland
GE published this pamphlet to indicate permissible uses of the Carousel of Progress symbols / icons.
68) Magic Skyway Brochure
Heavily illustrated small brochure for Disney's Magic Skyway ride at the Ford pavilion.
67) Fair Preview Brochure
Short brochure for a 1961 fair preview day on April 22 (1096 days before the fair) which featured tours, entertainment and speechs
66) Futurama Pavilion Model Photos
Set of 4 photos of models of the Futurama pavilion with captions on the rear.
65) Walt Disney's World's Fair Itinerary
Detailed itinerary for a group of Disney employees visiting the Fair in June 1964.
64) It's A Small World Jobs
Interesting letter on It's A Small World letterhead to Disneyland employees about the large number of applications received to work the attraction at the Fair.
63) It's A Small World Employee Guides
Three different booklets for employee at the World's Fair -- 1) "Refreshment Hosts, 2) "Ticket Sellers", 3) "General Hosts"
62) Angry Robert Moses Letter
Official copy of an infamous letter Moses wrote to NYC Traffic Commissioner Henry Barnes after Barnes publicly criticized signage Moses put over a freeway to promote the Fair.
61) Rule Violations
Odd document chronicling all of the rule violations committed by Fair vendors and pavilions.
60) Swiss Expo Report
A report written by an Assistant Secretary of the Fair after he visited parks and exhibitions to Robert Moses with his findings.
59) GM Engineering Journal
2Q 1964 edition of this trade/corporate publication with a cover story on the Futurama ride.
58) Seattle World's Fair Study
Very detailed 136-page survey of attendees of the 1962 WF in Seattle. Lots of charts and tables.
57) Employment Archive
Archive of letters, forms and applications for employment at various fair pavilions including It's A Small World and Progressland.
56) Unisphere Pamphlet
Small booklet about the construction of the Unisphere published by United States Steel
55) Tower of Four Winds Card
UNICEF greeting card in the shape of Rolly Crump's Tower Of The Four Winds.
54) Unisphere Dedication
Press folder for the 3/6/63 dedication of the Unisphere which includes press releases and press photos.
53) LIRR Fair Manual
Booklet published for the Fair about the history of the Long Island Railroad with a commemorative token packaged inside.
52) Iran Pavilion
Pamphlet form the Iran pavilion at the Montreal Expo in 1967.
51) Hawaiian Recipes
Booklet from the Hawaiian pavilion with 50 different recipes.
50) Seattle Fair Preview
Heavily illustrated booklet about the 1962 Seattle Fair published in 1961.
49) Fire Dept Manual
100+ page booklet detailing fire department procedures at the World's Fair, prepared by Pinkerton's.
48) Vatican Pavilion
Booklet with photographs and descriptions of the various treasures at the Fair's Vatican pavilion.
47) State Exhibit List
July 1963 list of state exhibitors with details and illustrations for each.
45) NYC Housing Booklet
Detailed guide to hotels and motels across the tri-state area, published by the World's Fair Housing Bureau.
44) Coca Cola Corp. Magazine
May-June 1964 edition of "The Refresher", Coca Cola's employee magazine with a section on the World's Fair.
43) AMF Monorail Press Kit
Folder for the American Machine and Foundry company's monorail with press releases, photographs and brochure
42) Restaurant Guide
Overview of each restaurant at the 1964 WF with information on reservations, # of seats, opening times, price range, type of food, credit card acceptance and operator.
41) Marina Of The Future
1962 brochure prepared by the NYC Parks Dept. about the construction of the Flushing Meadow Marina which served the Fair and still exists.
40) Belgian Village
Souvenir booklet from the Belgian Pavilion with numerous photographs and historical information.
39) Central Foundry Products
Booklet of pavilions at the Fair that have plumbing facilities designed by the Central Foundry Company.
38) World's Fair TV Ratings
Internal NBC memos about ratings for World's Fair TV specials.
36) Ford Pavilion Premiere
Brochure given out at the premiere of the Ford Pavilion with an overview of the attractions.
35) Project '64
Project '64 was a proposal for seven companies to pool their resources and create one large pavilion to share. This did not happen.
34) Lincoln Mercury Guide
65-page booklet published by Ford with an overview of the fair focusing on the Ford exhibits.
33) Preparation Of The Site Supplementary Report
1960 report detailing specifics about transportation and parking at the fair.
31) Information Report
May 8 1960 World's Fair Information Report - focus on borrowing of funds.
30) Older Visitor Brochure
Unusual brochure targeting Fair guests over the age of 55.
29) General Cigar
Two brochures from the General Cigar pavilion - one promotes the daily magic show and the other is a history and overview of the cigar.
28) The Underground Story of Natural Gas
Small booklet published by the Columbia Gas System about the history of natural gas.
27) Japanese Economy Brochure
Booklet from the Japanese pavilion about the country's economy and how it helps the U.S.
26) Visitors To The Fair Report
Engineers consultant report projecting attendance figures and costs for visitors to the Fair.
25) Five Minute Glimpse of Japan
Booklet from the Japan pavilion with an overview of the country and Mitsubishi which was a corporate sponsor.
23) Four 1964 World's Fair Menus
The menus are from 1) the Chinese Pavilion restaurant 2) The Brass Rail / Pan American Patio 3) House of Good Taste 4) Caribbean Pavilion restaurant
22) Transportation and Travel Pavilion
Sales brochure to solicit participation in the Transportation and Travel pavilion which eventually housed a multitude of exhibitors and exhibits.
21) New York Times WF Edition Advertising Brochure
1963 brochure produced the New York Times to solicit advertising for its special World's Fair Sunday magazine on 4/19/64.
20) Flushing Bay Study
1961 study of the Flushing Bay and River Waterfront to prepare the site for the World's Fair.
19) Concrete Sales Brochure Produced For The World's Fair
132 page sales brochure produced by the Portland Cement Association of Chicago that "illustrates a few of the many ways architects have made use of the incomparably rich variety of colors and shapes afforded by concrete in its various applications.
It is chock full of great 60s architectural images
18) Singer Bowl Reopening Ceremonies
Small pamphlet with the printed speeches from the reopening ceremonies of the Fair for year two on 4/21/65 at the Singer Bowl.
17) Formica World's Fair House Marketing Profile
Summary of the marketing efforts and results related to the World's Fair Formica House which can be seen in this Youtube clip
16) Contract To Use Unisphere on World's Fair Song Record.
This is a signed contract for the "Pem-Dex" corporation to use the Unisphere logo on its printed copies of the Richard Rodgers official 1964 World's Fair song "Fair is Fair".
There is also a great letter signed by Robert Moses giving a Pem-Dex official a pass to the Fair.
15) 1964 World's Fair Security Issues
Two memos regarding security issues at the fair including licensing, loud volume of pavilions and handing out materials
14) Fair News Vol. 3
No. 3
March 22, 1964 edition of the Fair News which is volume 3, number 3.
13) Stori-Views Souvenir
Lovely example of these Stori-Views pictures for the viewer.
12) Bethlehem Steel
Booklet documenting the multiple Fair pavilions constructed by Bethlehem Steel
11) Great White Way
Pamphlet promoting travel packages to NYC combining The 1964 World' Fair and Broadway shows.
10) Hall of Science Expansion
Oversized booklet detailing the plans for the Hall of Science after the Fair ends. It is now the New York Hall of Science and still operating in Flushing Meadows.
9) Flushing Bay and River Waterfront Study
1961 engineering study on upgrades needed for Flushing Bay to meet the requirements of the Fair and to leave lasting improvements to the area.
8) Yellow Pages Insert / All Fair Phone #s
A Yellow Pages insert with phone numbers for all World's Fair pavilions.
7) Futurama Details
34-page document detailing the technical aspects of GM's Futurama attraction.
