The New York Public Library Manuscripts and Archives Division

685 Pages·2008·2.22 MB·English

The New York Public Library
Manuscripts and Archives Division
nypl.org/mss

New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
1935-1945
MssCol 2233

Jessica Weglein, Wendy Scheir, Jill Peterson, Susan Malsbury, and Michelle Schwartz
June 2008

The processing of the records and digitization of the Central Files index were funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation and Access Grant.
Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this guide do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Guide to the
New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Table of Contents
Summary.....................................................................................................................................................iv
Provenance note.........................................................................................................................................v
Related materials note................................................................................................................................v
Historical note...........................................................................................................................................vii
Scope and content note............................................................................................................................xi
Key terms..................................................................................................................................................xiii
Record groups descriptions and container list.......................................................................................1
I. CENTRAL FILES.........................................................................................................................................1
Series I.A. Administration (A.)..................................................................................................................................................2
Series I.B. Construction (C.)..................................................................................................................................................43
Series I.C. Maintenance (M.).................................................................................................................................................72
Series I.D. Participation (P.)...................................................................................................................................................90
Series I.E. Public Relations (PR.)........................................................................................................................................240
Series 1.F. Card Index.........................................................................................................................................................324
II. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.................................................................................................................329
Series II.A. Minutes..............................................................................................................................................................329
Series II.B. Items for Board Review.....................................................................................................................................332
Series II.C. Subject Files......................................................................................................................................................337
Series II.D. Contracts...........................................................................................................................................................340
Series II.E. Bids....................................................................................................................................................................440
III. BOARD OF DESIGN..............................................................................................................................448
IV. LEGAL DEPARTMENT..........................................................................................................................452
Series IV.A. General Matters...............................................................................................................................................452
Series IV.B. Amusements, Exhibits and Concessions.........................................................................................................454
Series IV.C. City of New York..............................................................................................................................................457
Series IV.D. Construction.....................................................................................................................................................458
Series IV.E. Financial...........................................................................................................................................................460
Series IV.F. Government Participation.................................................................................................................................462
Series IV.G. Liens, Claims and Litigation.............................................................................................................................465
Series IV.H. Promotions, Rights and Merchandising...........................................................................................................469
Series IV.I. Housing, Public Services and Transportation....................................................................................................472
V. OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT........................................................................................473
VI. GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION.............................................................................................................476
Series VI.A. Division Director...............................................................................................................................................476
Series VI.B. Foreign Participation Department....................................................................................................................480
Series VI.C. State Participation Department........................................................................................................................486
Series VI.D. Ceremonials Department................................................................................................................................489
VII. OPERATING DIVISION.........................................................................................................................491
Series VII.A. Concessions....................................................................................................................................................491
Series VII.B. Construction Department................................................................................................................................498
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Guide to the
New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Series VII.C. Exhibits and Entertainment.............................................................................................................................535
Series VII.D. Labor Relations...............................................................................................................................................559
Series VII.E. Public Services................................................................................................................................................562
VIII. PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION.........................................................................................572
Series VIII.A. General Administration and Operations.........................................................................................................572
Series VIII.B. News Dissemination (includes photographs).................................................................................................573
Series VIII.C. Public Education Department........................................................................................................................615
Series VIII.D. Public Relations and Publicity Activities.........................................................................................................617
Series VIII.E. Research and Library.....................................................................................................................................625
IX. TREASURY.........................................................................................................................................635
Series IX.A. Office of Treasurer...........................................................................................................................................635
Series IX.B. Office of Financial Director...............................................................................................................................638
Series IX.C. Import and Export Department.........................................................................................................................642
Series IX.D. Accounting Department Books........................................................................................................................648
X. SOUND RECORDINGS...........................................................................................................................649
Central Files Classification....................................................................................................................650
A. ADMINISTRATION............................................................................................................................650
C. CONSTRUCTION.............................................................................................................................652
M. MAINTENANCE................................................................................................................................655
P. PARTICIPATION...............................................................................................................................657
PR. PUBLIC RELATIONS.....................................................................................................................662
Selected Bibliography............................................................................................................................664
ARCHIVAL AND ORAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS............................................................................................664
BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS......................................................................................................................667
FILM AND VIDEO......................................................................................................................................669
WEBSITES...............................................................................................................................................670

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Guide to the
New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Summary

Main entry: New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated

Title: New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records, 1935-1945
(bulk 1936-1940)

Size: 1183.75 linear feet
2508 boxes (AB: 2191; RC: 16; OS: 64; Card boxes: 160; Negative
boxes: 77); 42 volumes; 18 tubes; 10 sound recordings

Source: Donated by New York World's Fair 1939-1940 Incorporated in 1940.

Abstract: The New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940, was held in Flushing
Meadows in the Borough of Queens. The non-profit Fair corporation was
formed in 1935 under the guidance of business and civic leaders, and
financed through federal, state, municipal and private funds. The Fair
commemorated the 150th anniversary of Washington's inauguration in
New York City and took “Building the World of Tomorrow” as its central
theme. Participants included close to 60 nations, 33 states and U.S.
territories, and over a thousand exhibitors, among them some of the
largest corporations in the United States. The records of the New York
World's Fair 1939 and1940 Incorporated present a comprehensive view
of all aspects of the Fair including construction, maintenance and
demolition of Fair facilities; planning and development; architecture and
landscaping; displays and exhibits; government participation; publicity
and public relations; amusements, entertainment and concessions; legal
and financial affairs; the import and export of goods; labor relations; and
public safety and welfare. In addition to correspondence and
memoranda, the collection consists of reports, minutes, financial and
legal records, architectural plans, design drawings, sound recordings,
brochures, leaflets, press releases and other promotional materials,
notably over 12,000 photographs of the Fair, its exhibits and visitors.

Access: Contact the division to request access.
Some Board of Design materials are closed prending conservation
treatment. Consult reference specialist.
Photographic prints and negatives are closed. Consult digitzed versions
in the Digital Gallery.

Preferred citation: New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records,
Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

Special formats Architectural drawings; Brochures; Clippings; Contracts; Ephemera;
Financial records; Fliers; Maps; Pamphlets; Photographs; Posters;
Programs; Sheet music; Sound recordings.

Alternate formats: Photographic prints: Consult the Digital Gallery

Funding: The processing of the records and digitization of the central files index were
funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation and
Access Grant. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this guide do not necessarily represent those of the National
Endowment for the Humanities.

iv
Guide to the
New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Provenance note

The records of the New York World's Fair 1939-1940 Incorporated were donated to the New York
Public Library at the close of the 1940 season. An agreement was brokered in 1936 by Frank
Monaghan, head of the Fair's Research and Library Department, and endorsed by Grover Whalen,
president of the NYWF and H.M. Lydenberg, director of the NYPL. In the waning months of the Fair,
final arrangements were made for the acquisition by the Library of over 1,500 linear feet of records,
printed matter and other materials. Between the fall of 1940 and spring of 1941 the records were
surveyed and, under the supervision of Madeleine Hill Truslow of the Fair's Central Files unit, the bulk
of the material was reviewed and transferred.

A working inventory of the Fair records was prepared in 1960 for the New York World's Fair 1964-
1965 Corporation (which made extensive use of the records) by Truslow who was engaged to
establish a system for the coming Fair based along the lines of the 1939/40 Central Files structure. A
more comprehensive inventory, along with brief descriptions of the departmental records, was
created by archivist John Stinson in 1985 as part of a Manuscripts and Archives Division-wide
National Endowment for the Humanities-funded accessioning project. "The Last Fair on Earth: The
New York World's Fair 1939/1940," a 1989 exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the
Fair, was held at the NYPL in the Edna Barnes Salomon Room and curated by Richard M. Salvato.

In 2006, the NYPL was the recipient of another grant from the NEH for a two and a half-year project
to preserve and enhance access to the records of the New York World's Fair 1939-1940
Incorporated. This project significantly expanded the finding aid and provided for the creation of an
electronically searchable digital version of the Central Files card index. Funding for the latter was also
provided by the D.S. and R.H. Gottesman Foundation. In the course of the project, over 12,000
promotional prints were digitized and are now available through the NYPL's Digital Gallery.

Related materials note

Abramovitz, Max. Architectural drawings and papers. Avery Drawings & Archives, Columbia
University.

Century of Progress Records. Special Collections Department, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dreyfuss, Henry. Henry Dreyfuss Collection, 1927-1972. Cooper-Hewitt Museum Archives.

Department of Parks, 1850-1960. New York City Department of Records, Municipal Archives
Collections. Includes correspondence of Parks Commissioner Robert Moses from 1940 through 1956.

Ferriss, Hugh. Architectural Drawings and Papers Collection. Avery Drawings & Archives, Columbia
University.

Hadassah Archives: RG 18 - Photographs: Hadassah Exhibits and Palestine Pavilion

Harrison, Wallace K. Architectural drawings and papers. Avery Drawings & Archives, Columbia
University.

Monaghan, Frank. Papers. Rare and Manuscript Collections. Cornell University.

Moses, Robert. Papers. Manuscripts and Archives Division, New York Public Library.

Muschenheim, William. Architectural drawings and papers. Avery Drawings & Archives, Columbia
University.

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New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Related Materials Note
New York World's Fair Negro Week. Records. Schomburg Center -- Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare
Books, New York Public Library.

New York City 1939 World's Fair architectural drawings, [ca. 1935]. Museum of the City of New York.
Museum of the City of New York.

New York City 1939 World's Fair collection, 1939-1940. Museum of the City of New York.
New York World's Fair 1939/40 Collection. Queens Museum. [Note: This collection is available for
research on a limited basis. Consult Queens Museum staff]

New York World's Fair 1964-1965 Corporation records. Manuscripts and Archives Division, New York
Public Library.

Temple of Religion Records. Manuscripts and Archives Division, New York Public Library.

Whalen, Grover A. Papers. New York City Municipal Archives.

Wurts Brothers (New York, N.Y.). Museum of the City of New York. - Department of Paintings, Prints, and
Photographs.

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New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Historical note
Historical note

The New York World’s Fair of 1939 and 1940, held in Flushing Meadows in the Borough of Queens, is
widely regarded as the most spectacular exposition ever held in the United States. By every
measurement – size, cost, attendance, publicity, foreign government participation, number of exhibitors –
it outranked every previous international fair. With 45 million visitors during its two seasons, the Fair was
the best-attended event of the first half of the 20th century. Participation was unprecedented with close to
60 foreign nations, 33 states and U.S. territories, and over a thousand exhibitors, among them some of
the largest corporations in the United States. A massive promotional campaign was waged across the
country and around the world, with hundreds of programs and events attracting widespread media
coverage. New York had not hosted a world’s fair since the Crystal Palace exhibition of 1853 and the New
York World’s Fair planners were committed, according to one internal report, “to the building of the
greatest international exposition in history.”1

The success of Chicago’s 1933 Century of Progress exposition persuaded many that a fair in New York
would stimulate local trade and industry long dampened by the lingering effects of the Great Depression.
In the summer of 1935, leaders of New York City’s civic and business community formed a preliminary
steering committee to explore the possibility of mounting a world’s fair in New York. While such a venture
would be expensive (the overall cost would ultimately climb to over $155 million), the expectation was that
visitors to a fair would send billions of dollars flowing through the New York City economy. As a result of
the committee’s deliberations, a proposal was formally announced and received an enthusiastic reception
from public and commercial interests. In October 1935, the New York World’s Fair 1939 Incorporated, a
non-profit membership corporation, was formed. It included over one hundred charter members drawn
from the leaders of New York’s business, financial, artistic, and professional communities. Principal
officers of the Corporation included Grover A. Whalen (President), Bayard F. Pope (Treasurer), George
McAneny (Chairman of the Board), Percy S. Straus (Chairman of the Committee on Architecture and
Physical Planning), Harvey D. Gibson (Chairman of the Finance Committee), Howard A. Flanigan
(Assistant to the President and later Executive Vice President), W. Earle Andrews (General Manager),
and John P. Hogan (Chief Engineer).

The Fair was the result of a close and complex collaboration between private investors and local, state,
federal and foreign governments, with New York City donating $26.7 million to the Fair, the federal
government $3 million, New York State $6.2 million, and foreign governments over $30 million. The Fair
issued $27,829,500 in bonds backed by receipts from admission and rentals to concessionaires and
exhibitors, and promised a yield of four-percent interest due in 1941. These were sold to businesses,
unions and members of the public eager to reap a profit from the enterprise. State and federal
cooperation was facilitated by the creation of the New York State World’s Fair Commission and the United
States World’s Fair Commission. It was agreed that all profits would be dedicated to the construction of
Flushing Meadows Park, to occupy the site following the closing of the Fair -- a commitment secured by
then-New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses.

Physical construction of the Fair began in the spring of 1936 with the enactment of enabling legislation
permitting the reclamation of 1,216 ½ acres of tidal swamp -- chiefly occupied by a colossal city dump.
Seven-million cubic acres of meadow mat and refuse were moved and leveled, and marshland filled in
advance of the construction of the Fairgrounds; a feat still considered one of the largest land reclamations
undertaken in the eastern United States. Following the clearance of the site and over the course of two
years, thousands of architects, engineers, designers, artists, contractors, and trades people were
mobilized, round the clock, to transform the Corona Dump into the New York World’s Fair. The rapid
construction of a virtual city complete with buildings, roads and lakes was only interrupted by the recurrent
labor disputes and strikes that threatened the scheduled opening of the Fair and cost the corporation
millions of dollars in overtime required to make up for time lost during stoppages. In conjunction with the
Fair, several other large-scale projects that re-shaped New York City and the outlying area were

1 “ABC of the Fair,” 1937 Jan 8. NYWF 39/40 (box 10, folder 1)
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New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Historical note
undertaken, including highways and boulevards leading to the Flushing Meadow site, the Bronx-
Whitestone Bridge, subway and railroad extensions, and LaGuardia Airport.

The corporation, like the fairgrounds, grew rapidly. By the spring of 1936 the core administrative staff was
in place and operating from temporary offices in the Empire State Building in advance of a move to
permanent headquarters at the Fairgrounds. In the years leading up to the Fair, the corporate staff would
swell to an estimated 8,000 individuals working in close to three-dozen organizational units. While
hierarchical reporting lines were established and numerous organizational charts issued, the corporation
exhibited a remarkable fluidity of structure as members of the staff, often working across departmental
lines, strove to bring the many aspects of the Fair to fruition.

The Board of Design under Stephen F. Voorhees, president of the American Institute of Architects, was
responsible for the layout and overall appearance of the Fair, establishing standards for all buildings,
murals, sculptures, lighting, and landscaping. Robert D. Kohn, eminent New York architect and
progressive planner, accepted responsibility for defining the main theme. The Fair was scheduled to open
on April 30, 1939, the 150th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration in New York City; but while
the Fair paid tribute to the past, the uplifting theme, “Building the World of Tomorrow,” emphasized the
promise of the future. A press release issued by the Corporation articulated its progressive goals: “The
Fair will exhibit the most promising developments of ideas, products, services and social factors of the
present day in such a fashion that the visitor may get a vision of what he could obtain for himself, and for
his community, by intelligent, co-operative planning toward the better life of the future.”

In order to integrate the thematic elements with the built environment, the Fair was divided into seven
sectors or zones: amusement, communication, community interests, food, government, production and
distribution, and transportation. Most zones had a Fair-sponsored focal exhibit offering an overview of the
sector’s theme and interpreting the social significance of the participants’ displays located in that area. At
the hub of these sectors stood the Trylon, a 700-foot obelisk, and the Perisphere, a 200-foot globe, the
symbols of the Fair. The Perisphere contained “Democracity,” the Fair’s central thematic exhibit, a scale
model of an imaginary metropolis of the future, designed by American industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss.

With the transformation of Flushing Meadows in full swing, President Roosevelt responded to a resolution
of Congress and, in November 1936, invited the participation of the nations of the world. A major hurdle
was cleared when the International Bureau of Expositions, the governing body of international fairs,
granted formal recognition of the anticipated New York fair. Fair president Grover Whalen, a consummate
and energetic promoter, traveled across the world gathering commitments from an unprecedented
number of foreign governments. With the exception of Germany and China, Whalen signed every major
country in the world, scoring a significant coup by securing a pledge from Stalin that the Soviet Union
would construct a $4 million pavilion. While this imposing pavilion would earn revenue for the Fair, it
provoked the displeasure of some members of the public who considered the dominant structure to be a
political taunt; complaints were lodged that the statue of a Soviet worker holding a star aloft mounted high
atop a 180-foot pylon threatened to exceed the height of the American flag that flew over the Fairgrounds.

The forward-looking theme and significant government participation helped to persuade a host of
American corporations -- eager to introduce new products to the public -- to lease space from the Fair.
Many of these exhibits proved to be both powerful promotional tools and among the most popular
attractions at the Fair. Notable corporate exhibitions included the American Telephone and Telegraph
Company, where long distance phone calls could be placed for free; the Borden Company, which offered
demonstrations of an electronically-operated milking machine (the rotolactor); the Westinghouse
Company, featuring corporate mascots Elektro and Sparko -- a mechanical man and his dog; and
General Motor’s “Futurama,” which offered a birds-eye view of the world of the highways, cities and
suburbs of 1960 as imagined by industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes.

The amusement zone drew visitors to the Fair as well and helped the corporation to earn additional
income through admission fees charged by selected concessionaires, a percentage of which was paid out
to the Fair. Billy Rose’s Aquacade was the undisputed hit of the amusement zone. This water show,
which featured Olympic champions Eleanor Holm and Johnny Weismuller and a cast (according to
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New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Historical note
promotional literature) of “fetching mermaids and virile mermen,” earned Rose an estimated five million
dollars. Although Whalen had early on promised that the Fair would be free of “fan dancing” or lewd “girlie
shows,” the potential loss of lucrative attractions produced a more lenient position towards entertainments
featuring nudity and exotic dancing. While this altered stance generated controversy, burlesque shows
helped rent space in the amusement zone and brought in paying visitors craving something other than
culture and education. Salvador Dali’s Dream of Venus, Norman Bel Geddes’ Crystal Lassies and the
Cavalcade of Centaurs -- featuring scantily clad or naked women in tanks of water, refracted in mirrors or
bare-breasted on horseback -- were among the attractions that drew criticism and crowds.

Although more than 25 million paying visitors attended the Fair during the 1939 season, attendance fell
far short of the projected 50 million that was needed to repay investors. Operating costs far outpaced
expected income and, by August, the Fair was facing bankruptcy. The blame was laid on construction
costs that exceeded budgeted funds; the 75-cent admission fee -- 25 cents more than the standard fee
for fairs; and the excessive pomp -- parades for visiting dignitaries, elaborate ceremonies and lavish
receptions – which acted as a deterrent, in the words of one Fair official, “[to] the common run of people
…ill at ease rubbing elbows [with] …the high silk hat group.” With the Fair teetering on the brink of
insolvency, the board of directors elected to extend the exposition for an additional year hoping to recoup
losses incurred during the ’39 season.

Gone was the optimism of the first year with its message of better living through collective planning so
carefully crafted by the Board of Design and the initial planners. With war spreading throughout Europe, a
more pragmatic mood prevailed both in the administration of the Fair and across the country. A new
theme was adopted for the second year, “For Peace and Freedom,” and with this signal change, came
other alterations. The flash-and-dazzle Whalen was replaced as the chief executive of the Fair by the
staid and no-nonsense Harvey D. Gibson, president of Manufacturers Trust Company and chair of the
Fair’s Finance Committee. His first act was to slash the price of admission to 50 cents; a series of
austerity measures that included staff reductions and consolidation of departments and functions
followed. Hoping to bring in the “common run of people” – people from small towns and rural regions of
the country – the Fair launched promotional campaigns, contests and new attractions that would recast
the high concept exposition to project the aspect of, in Gibson’s words, “a super country fair.” As part of
the transformation of the theme and folksy re-orientation, the 1940 Fair lost some of its international
flavor. Moreover, the political situation overseas prevented the robust foreign participation of the previous
year. Ten nations did not return including several under Nazi occupation, and the Soviet Union withdrew,
dismantling its pavilion and leaving a 100,000 square foot vacant lot in the center of the Fairgrounds. In
its stead, the site became the “American Common,” a performance venue given over to patriotic pageants
and events celebrating democracy and American diversity.
The Fair closed on October 27, 1940 yielding its highest day of attendance of over 550,000 visitors. But
overall attendance lagged far behind the 1939 season and while profits in the 1940 season did exceed
expenses, it was not sufficient to wipe out the debts incurred the previous year. When all outstanding
financial matters were settled, bond holders only received 40 cents on each dollar invested. Demolition,
which under an agreement with the Park’s Department was to be carried out by the Fair Corporation,
began the day after the gates of the 1940 Fair closed. The unwinding of the corporation and the
dismantling of the Fairgrounds structures was overseen by Howard A. Flanigan. Asked whether he
regretted this task he told an interviewer, “Isn’t it better to let it die while it’s still lovely, than to let it stand
on and become shabby?” Over the next four years an ever dwindling staff managed matters related to the
resolution of Fair business. The formal dissolution of the New York World’s Fair occurred in March 1943,
but the corporation continued to function through the fall of 1945 (ten years after the boisterous launching
of the enterprise) when lingering legal and financial affairs were quietly concluded by a staff of one
operating from a desk at the offices of Manufacturers Trust.

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New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records
Historical note
The New York Times, reporting on the closing of the 1940 season, penned the following epitaph:

On the tombstone of the Flushing giant should be carved something like this: “Born, April
30, 1939. Passed away officially at midnight, October 27, 1940. A short life – and not
always a merry one.” ….It has been a fabulous history – one that undoubtedly will mellow
and improve with age and recitation and will become part of American folk legend when
the fairgoers of ’39 and ’40 tell it to their grandchildren in 1975.

Sources:
Gelernter, David. 1939: The Lost World of the Fair. New York: Avon Books, 1995.

Gibson, Harvey. Harvey D. Gibson: An Autobiography. North Conway, New Hampshire: The Reporter
Press/Paul K. Blanchard, Inc., 1951.

Harrison, Helen, ed. Dawn of a New Day: The New York World's Fair 1939/40. New York: New York
University Press, 1980.

Monaghan, Frank. New York World's Fair 1939. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1939.
Official Guide Book of the New York World's Fair 1939. New York: Exposition Publications, Inc.

Rydell, Robert W., John E. Findling, and Kimberly D. Pelle. World's Fairs in the United States.
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000.

Tyng, Francis Edmonds. Making a World's Fair: Organization, Promotion, Financing, and Problems,
with Particular Reference to the New York World's Fair of 1939-1940. New York: Vantage Press,
1958.

Wurts, Richard and Stanley Applebaum, et. al. The New York World's Fair 1939/1940 in 155
photographs by Richard Wurts and Others. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1977.
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