New York World's Fair (Part 2) (silent)

Description:

Description: Content warning: This film documents the 1939 New York World's Fair, which featured racist and ableist ethnological expositions that put non-western people and people with disabilities on public display, often emphasizing the supposed inferiority and "primitive" nature of those cultures and peoples.

Amateur film of the New York World's Fair (1939-40). Reel 2. Main Loop Section of the Amusement Area.

Marked: "Amusement #2: Aquacade and Nude Shows."

Legacy shot list:

World's Fairs: New York, 1939-40; Home movies- amateur films.

Excellent color footage of pavilions, performances, amusement rides in Kodachrome. Salvador Dali pavilion at 3:01:39:12. Racy footage of burlesque acts, sunbathing.

Slate- Main Loop of Amusement Area. International pavilions. Statue of man holding shield atop building with sign for Blarney Stone, Irish Village. man speaking w/microphone at Philippines pavilion Asian temple region. Buddhist temple pagoda.

Salvador Dali's "Dream of Venus" Surrealist Pavilion. Woman in bikini swimsuit & robe waving to passers-by outside building with mermaid, Venus de Milo exterior artwork. Title "Dali's surrealistic swim suits opened new vistas." Woman in open-chested swimsuit swimming & performing underwater in front of surrealistic sculptures (turtles, etc.) by Dali. Young woman in bikini sitting in clamshell crater thing removing veil, brushing her hair & talking.

VS Sideshow barkers speak to crowd from stage. Two women wear bikinis, tropical leis, skirts. Announcer speaks to crowd outside Seminole Village Pavilion (fake grass Indian hut) with American Indian man & woman on display. People in large crowd move about, stop to look at Seminole booth.

Pavilion with large mural advertising "Olga" the Headless Girl. Framed photograph of headless Olga sitting in chair in laboratory with hoses running into neck. "Nurse" in uniform stands beside real Olga, taking her pulse & operating machine to make her hands move.

Announcer stands at sideshow booth, promoting "Frozen Alive" stunt, with "Frozen Alive" girls in swimsuits. Inside exhibit- Sideshow barker speaks on dark stage, introduces topless woman & describes how she will be frozen in block of ice behind him. Woman lays down inside half of ice block as male assistants close other half over her legs. Woman wriggles inside ice.

Reuse Statement: For information on reusing Prelinger Archives footage and obtaining written usage agreements, please visit www.prelinger.com.

Subjects: 1930s,1940s,Fairs and festivals,Racism ,Oddities,Sex,Performances,Latina/o/x/e and/or Hispanic people,People of African origin or descent

Tags: Irish Village; Dali Dream of Venus exhibit; surrealism; surrealist swimwear; underwater swimwear models; Olga The Headless Girl; magic tricks; Frozen Alive magic show; magicians; Admiral Byrd's Penguin Island; man feeding penguins; African dancing; Laffland; Savoy exhibit; Savoy World's Greatest Colored Dancers sign; live music; Black people; African American musicians; drinking fountains; Famous Chicken Inn; NTG's Congress of Beauty; models / performers sun bathing; nude models; 40s fashion; 30s fashion; Sun Valley A Winter Wonderland; ice shows; figure skating; Crystal Lassies; dancing; World's Fair Wild West and Rodeo; Cuban Village; Dance Sacrificio; Dance Rurales; La Conga; Glenn Gray; people dancing in pairs; women dancing with women; swing dancing; Cyclone roller coaster; amusement rides; Fountain Lake; clowns; arcades; aquacades; fireworks; ethnological expositions; topless women swimming underwater; "Strange as it seems" sideshow posters; dogs; carnival barkers; crowds; spectators; audience; see-through bikinis; women smoking; hiding from camera; toreador ice skating; ice skating in bull costume; ski jumping; Life Savers parachute ride; topless women dancing; archery; women dancing together; fair at night; fireworks

Film Sponsor:

Creator: Philip Medicus

Credits:

Distributor:

Contributor: Prelinger Archives

Source Collection: Prelinger Archives Home Movie Collection

Digitizing Sponsor: Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) and Internet Archive

Production Date: 1939; 1940

Release Date:

Geographical Location: USA; New York City, New York; Queens, New York City; New York

Genre/Form: amateur

Language: eng

Rights:

Film Format: 16mm film

Element: reversal, original

Color: color

Color Process: Kodachrome

Sound or Silent: silent

Film Soundtrack Type: mos

Edge Code:

Frame Rate: 16 fps

Length (feet): 1548

Complete Record: Description: Content warning: This film documents the 1939 New York World's Fair, which featured racist and ableist ethnological expositions that put non-western people and people with disabilities on public display, often emphasizing the supposed inferiority and "primitive" nature of those cultures and peoples. Amateur film of the New York World's Fair (1939-40). Reel 2. Main Loop Section of the Amusement Area. Marked: "Amusement #2: Aquacade and Nude Shows." Legacy shot list: World's Fairs: New York, 1939-40; Home movies- amateur films. Excellent color footage of pavilions, performances, amusement rides in Kodachrome. Salvador Dali pavilion at 3:01:39:12. Racy footage of burlesque acts, sunbathing. Slate- Main Loop of Amusement Area. International pavilions. Statue of man holding shield atop building with sign for Blarney Stone, Irish Village. man speaking w/microphone at Philippines pavilion Asian temple region. Buddhist temple pagoda. Salvador Dali's "Dream of Venus" Surrealist Pavilion. Woman in bikini swimsuit & robe waving to passers-by outside building with mermaid, Venus de Milo exterior artwork. Title "Dali's surrealistic swim suits opened new vistas." Woman in open-chested swimsuit swimming & performing underwater in front of surrealistic sculptures (turtles, etc.) by Dali. Young woman in bikini sitting in clamshell crater thing removing veil, brushing her hair & talking. VS Sideshow barkers speak to crowd from stage. Two women wear bikinis, tropical leis, skirts. Announcer speaks to crowd outside Seminole Village Pavilion (fake grass Indian hut) with American Indian man & woman on display. People in large crowd move about, stop to look at Seminole booth. Pavilion with large mural advertising "Olga" the Headless Girl. Framed photograph of headless Olga sitting in chair in laboratory with hoses running into neck. "Nurse" in uniform stands beside real Olga, taking her pulse & operating machine to make her hands move. Announcer stands at sideshow booth, promoting "Frozen Alive" stunt, with "Frozen Alive" girls in swimsuits. Inside exhibit- Sideshow barker speaks on dark stage, introduces topless woman & describes how she will be frozen in block of ice behind him. Woman lays down inside half of ice block as male assistants close other half over her legs. Woman wriggles inside ice. Reuse Statement: For information on reusing Prelinger Archives footage and obtaining written usage agreements, please visit www.prelinger.com. Subjects: 1930s,1940s,Fairs and festivals,Racism ,Oddities,Sex,Performances,Latina/o/x/e and/or Hispanic people,People of African origin or descent Tags: Irish Village; Dali Dream of Venus exhibit; surrealism; surrealist swimwear; underwater swimwear models; Olga The Headless Girl; magic tricks; Frozen Alive magic show; magicians; Admiral Byrd's Penguin Island; man feeding penguins; African dancing; Laffland; Savoy exhibit; Savoy World's Greatest Colored Dancers sign; live music; Black people; African American musicians; drinking fountains; Famous Chicken Inn; NTG's Congress of Beauty; models / performers sun bathing; nude models; 40s fashion; 30s fashion; Sun Valley A Winter Wonderland; ice shows; figure skating; Crystal Lassies; dancing; World's Fair Wild West and Rodeo; Cuban Village; Dance Sacrificio; Dance Rurales; La Conga; Glenn Gray; people dancing in pairs; women dancing with women; swing dancing; Cyclone roller coaster; amusement rides; Fountain Lake; clowns; arcades; aquacades; fireworks; ethnological expositions; topless women swimming underwater; "Strange as it seems" sideshow posters; dogs; carnival barkers; crowds; spectators; audience; see-through bikinis; women smoking; hiding from camera; toreador ice skating; ice skating in bull costume; ski jumping; Life Savers parachute ride; topless women dancing; archery; women dancing together; fair at night; fireworks Film Sponsor: Creator: Philip Medicus Credits: Distributor: Contributor: Prelinger Archives Source Collection: Prelinger Archives Home Movie Collection Digitizing Sponsor: Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) and Internet Archive Production Date: 1939; 1940 Release Date: Geographical Location: USA; New York City, New York; Queens, New York City; New York Genre/Form: amateur Language: eng Rights: Film Format: 16mm film Element: reversal, original Color: color Color Process: Kodachrome Sound or Silent: silent Film Soundtrack Type: mos Edge Code: Frame Rate: 16 fps Length (feet): 1548