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Reflections on the Fair: The New York World's Fair of 1964-65 (1964)

In 1965-65 New York City offered the second of its two great World's Fairs - symbolized by The Unisphere and built under the direction of Robert Moses, Fair President.

This is one of the very few documentaries of the Fair - a critical, independent review of four outstanding pavilions: General Motors' Futurama, Ford's Magic Skyway, IBM by architect Eero Saarinen and General Electric's Progressland. The future of the American automobile, the newest typewriter technology (before the computer age) and the evolution of the kitchen are all seen in detail.

 

Robert Moses argues that the pavilion designs were up to their individual sponsors - in sharp contrast with the epic 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago that had a powerful influence on the aesthetics of American's cities. The Fair is also compared with New York's first major exhibition, the 19th century Crystal Palace.

Reported by Robert Trout, the noted television correspondent who worked for all three networks and Public Broadcasting during his long career, the program is produced and written by Gordon Hyatt.

Even today, the New York World's fairgrounds still reflect some of the glories of their origins in the 1960s, including the still-shining Unisphere.
 

Reflections on the Fair: The New York World's Fair of 1964-65 (1964)

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