The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair was a swan song for the unbridled optimism of the "Space Age." At its heart was the General Motors Pavilion, a structure that didn't just house cars; it housed a philosophy. Following the success of the 1939 Futurama, GM doubled down on the idea that technology, guided by American corporate ingenuity, would solve every human problem—from traffic congestion to the harsh climates of the deep sea and outer space. It was a vision of a world where man had finally "tamed" nature through engineering.
The retrofuturism displayed in your postcard—with its moon crawlers, underwater resorts, and turbine-driven cars—represents the peak of the Atomic Age. This was a time when the "near future" was viewed with excitement rather than anxiety. GM's vision was one of total mobility; they imagined massive "road-builders" that could laser-cut highways through jungles in seconds. It reflected a society that believed the suburban lifestyle of the 1950s would naturally expand to every corner of the globe and beyond.
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Architecturally, the pavilion was a masterpiece of Googie and MCM design. Designed by Albert Kahn Associates, the building featured a sloping, 10-story high "canopy" that mimicked the sleek lines of the cars GM was selling. It was "Architecture of the Highway"—designed to be understood at high speeds, with sweeping curves and dramatic cantilevered sections. This style heavily influenced the Mid-Century Modern movement, pushing residential and commercial architects to experiment with "space-age" materials like reinforced concrete, glass, and steel to create structures that looked like they were ready for liftoff.
Ultimately, Futurama II was more than an advertisement; it was a cultural touchstone that defined what "the future" looked like for an entire generation. Looking at your postcard today, we see a beautiful, stylized dream of a 21st century that never quite arrived—a world of silver jumpsuits and autonomous turbine cars—reminding us of a time when the horizon felt limitless.
ALMOST EVERY form of entertainment that actually lives up to its advance notices these days is virtually a guarantee of solid enjoyment for the ticket holder. An even stronger guarantee is a sustained and enthusiastic approval by the audience — and although no tickets are required at the Ford Wonder Rotunda (it's free), the thousands upon thousands of visitors who have been thrilled and awed by Walt Disney's Magic Skyway and other spectacular attractions speak convincingly of the superb entertainment in store for you.
This dramatic exhibit structure, in the transportation section of the Fair, features a unique and exciting automobile trip through a fantasy land of the past, present and future, created by Walt Disney.
This unique building has a glass rotunda with 64 towering pylons at one end and a large exhibition hall at the other. It contains a variety of exhibits, a number of which were designed by Walt Disney.
Among the many popular attractions of the Wonder Rotunda are the International Gardens in the Rotunda area. Here the small fry get the chance to look down at miniature reproduction of colonial America, one of twelve countries fashioned in exquisite detail
On Magic Skyway ride visitors "live" in prehistoric times and in this animated tableau watch a life- size Tyrannosaurus rex and an armor-backed Stegasaurus slash at one another in battle for survival
Some scenes almost bring guests off their seats with excitement. In this one, cave men have trapped a huge mammoth in a pit and are about to apply the coup de grâce with a mighty boulder
America's most exciting new car, the Ford Mustang, shows off its sleek elegance at the Ford Wonder Rotunda where it was first introduced.
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source: Ford Times | July 1964
More than 25 kitchens are displayed at the Fair. All use modern appliances, but the motifs and accessories vary widely. Some are placed in a Mediterranean setting, others in an Oriental decor. One, in the Better Living Center, has a wall hung with paintings; another has moved the charcoal grill indoors. All bring imagination into the most functional room of the house.
HEARTH IN THE KITCHEN
Skylights and a charcoal-burning barbecue pit set apart this kitchen in Formica's "World's Fair House." The combination of glazed brick and Formica is natural to this room, which is both colonial and modern.
OLD STYLE NEW EASE
Built-in appliances plus natural brick and simple design in the Gallery of Kitchens unit combine grandmotherly warmth with modern ease of operation.
IDEAS FROM THE ORIENT
Japanese lanterns, driftwood countertop supports, teakwood panels and Far Eastern designs are all found in the Frigidaire "Oriental" Kitchen.
While a number of unusual pavilions at the Fair suggest new forms for public buildings, family homes are not neglected. Nine full-scale, completely furnished houses express a variety of new ideas in this field; in addition, an entire pavilion is devoted to interior decorating, as are assorted displays throughout the Industrial and International areas. The Pavilion of American Interiors shows 14 rooms decked out to fit into various regions of the United States. At the Better Living Center an entire floor is given over to the home. There, fairgoers can see Dorothy Draper's Dream Home—complete with roof garden—the Gallery of Kitchens and the Promenade of Interiors. Formica has built its own "World's Fair House" on the grounds, and two houses shown by All-State Properties and Macy's are sold furnished right down to teacups and hand towels. The Florida pavilion displays a "vacation home"; a three-bedroom "Underground World Home" offers complete climate control; and at the House of Good Taste, traditional, contemporary and modern houses are on view.
PRIVACY AND POOLS
Architect Jack Pickens Coble solved many problems of suburban dwelling by separating living areas to provide privacy within the home. Each area opens onto its own deck or pool in the back. Walls with high windows shield the house from the street.
While a number of unusual pavilions at the Fair suggest new forms for public buildings, family homes are not neglected. Nine full-scale, completely furnished houses express a variety of new ideas in this field; in addition, an entire pavilion is devoted to interior decorating, as are assorted displays throughout the Industrial and International areas. The Pavilion of American Interiors shows 14 rooms decked out to fit into various regions of the United States. At the Better Living Center an entire floor is given over to the home. There, fairgoers can see Dorothy Draper's Dream Home—complete with roof garden—the Gallery of Kitchens and the Promenade of Interiors. Formica has built its own "World's Fair House" on the grounds, and two houses shown by All-State Properties and Macy's are sold furnished right down to teacups and hand towels. The Florida pavilion displays a "vacation home"; a three-bedroom "Underground World Home" offers complete climate control; and at the House of Good Taste, traditional, contemporary and modern houses are on view.
ROOM FOR TRANQUILLITY
Designed by Edward Durell Stone, this house is based on the atrium of ancient times. The central unit is spacious, with over 1.000 square feet of room. Skylights brighten this and other rooms. Built around a six-foot reflecting pool and looking out on gardens, the house assures a sense of privacy and tranquillity. It also solves one problem posed by rising population. The house can be built almost against other homes.
A quick hop to the moon and back starts fairgoers at the General Motors Futurama off on a brave new third-of-a-mile-long look at tomorrow's world. Whisked around by moving chairs fitted with speakers, they see deserts, jungles, the oceans' murky floor and the frigid underside of a polar icecap, all reclaimed for use as man reaches out to improve his planet. Futurama features such amazing things to come as computer-run desert farms using piped-in desalted sea water; a subarctic electronic weather station, hooked up to a network of space satellites, broadcasting forecasts for entire continents; and a metropolis that provides "vertical take-off" airports, moving sidewalks and even some old-fashioned, old-world greenery.
THE JUNGLE CLEARED
A modern community rises on the green carpet of the jungle. serving as a transportation hub for such local products as lumber. chemicals and farm commodities. To clear the way, trees are felled by beams of laser light: instant turnpikes are laid down by a machine that levels, grades and paves all at once.
SPA UNDER THE SEA Plush hotels floating above the ocean floor are pan of the underwater world depicted in the Futurama ride. Vacationers go skin diving in the surrounding waters or, ferried by aqua scooters. simply take in the sights. Besides submerged playlands, the ocean floor has productive oil wells and storage tanks. The traffic includes everything from atomic submarine trains to a deep-sea version of a two-seat sports car.
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