1939 New York World's Fair

At the end of the Depression, New York City was the host of the 1939 World's Fair. "I Saw the Future at the 1939 World's Fair" was more than just a catchy publicity phrase ... the '39 World's Fair was indeed the gate way to the Future demonstrating television broadcasts, suburban homes built with plywood and a transcontinental highway system. .

Food Building Number Three: The mural on this building, 6000 square feet, uses as subjects the common foods of America combining related food in a single attractive group. Animated displays within this building graphically illustrate improvements in various phases of food within the last 150 years. Mural by Witold Gordon.

Trylon and Persiphere: To the left is the lofty shaft of the "Trylon" which rises 700 feet above the ground. A bridge links it to the 200-foot "Perisphere" in which the Theme of the Exposition is depicted. The architects are Harrison and Fouilhoux.

Spiral Hedges & Bed, Perylon Circle: One of the chief beauty spots of the World's Fair ... Perylon Circle with the famous fountain "Dances of the races" by the noted sculptress Malvina Hoffman, surrounded by a spiral planting of hedges and colourful tulips. In the background, Perylon Hall.

The United Steel Building: The U.S. Steel Building appropriately has its steel framework outside the shell of the structure, which is a great hemisphere of gleaming stainless steel with an area of 28,000 square feet. Visitors who enter see a dramatci presentation of the world of tomorrow which steel will help to build. Walter Dorwin Teague has designed both the building and the exhibit, and the architects are York and Sawyer.

The General Electric Building: The exhibit building features three general sections, one devoted to product display, one having a "House of Magic" auditorium, and Steinmetz Hall, in which 10 million volts of artificial lightning will be generated and discharged in spectacular fashion for Fair visitors. Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker sre the architects.

New York City Building: Erected by the people of New York City, this building contains exhibits which acquaint the visitor with the various activities of the numerous departments of city government. The building, occupying a plot of 163, 750 square feet, is to be permanent and after the Fair will be used as a hge public sports palace. Architects~Aymar Embury, II

General Motors Building: In keeping with the World's Fair theme 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 escaltor, visitors seated in comfortable moving chairs travel over the super-highways of tomorrow. The tour is climaxed by a full-sized street intersection, showing the architecture, motor traffic and pedestrian facilities of the future. Norman Bel Geddes is the designer and the architect is Albert Kahn, Inc.