New York World’s Fair 1939
I love this set of post cards! They are an absolutely perfect time capsule, of an event I would have loved to experience. The cards are official licensed, they are linen with vibrant colors and design, they have post marks, which can be read, for example, the one below was mailed from Great Neck New York, on Jun 19, 7 AM, in 1939, the one cent stamp is still attached, and the address . . . forget the zip code, there is no need for a house number!
“Arrived safely in New York this morning (Sun). Had our first vies of the fair. It is going to be wonderful.
Love,
Marjorie”
The Ford Motor Company Building
A little suggestion of what is to come, despite the excitement for the advancements which the fair is showcasing, “Buy U. S. Saving Bonds, Ask Your Postmaster.” This card was also on its way to South Portland, a much larger city than Scarborough, thus a house number.
The Westinghouse Electric Building
Caption on card: “Exhibiting the latest developments in electrical and mechanical science, this building provides the visitor with a behind-the-scenes vies of the many activities of the Westinghouse Company. The 150 foot illuminated tower marks the location of the time capsule containing pertinent data on present day civilization.” What happened to that time capsule I wonder?
The Hall of Communications
The Marine Transportation Hall — I love the overview of the fair grounds on this card
The General Motors Building
“In keeping with the World’s Fair them of ‘Building the World of Tomorrow,’ the General Motors Exhibit presents a conception of future motor traffic regulations and super-highways ‘Highways and Horizons.’ By means of a continuous escalator, visitors sweated in comfortable moving chairs travel over the super-highways of tomorrow. The tour is climaxed by a full-size street intersection, showing the architecture, motor traffic and pedestrian facilities of the future. Norma Bel Geddes is the designer, and the architect is Albert Kahn, Inc.”
I have to say this building reminds me of a certain contemporary architect, with its curves and motion.