The Unisphere: a stainless-steel globe weighing 700,000 pounds*. Prior to this course, I would never have thought twice about what it represented. I have family that lives on Long Island, New York, and without fail, during every ride to visit my relatives, my father would point out the car window to the Unisphere as we rode on the Grand Central Parkway.
My father is somewhat of a history buff–he has read numerous books on past presidents, wars, and bridges. He is a repository of historical facts, including information about the World’s Fairs. In fact, whenever we pass the enormous Unisphere or the concrete Observation Towers situated near Shea Stadium, my father would lecture my brother and me on the meaning of these objects and their symbolic importance during the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.
I’m not sure about my brother, but to be honest, I typically used to just look out the window and admire what’s left of these structures without listening to my father’s explanations. I think part of the reason why I’ve never paid attention is because I had no prior knowledge of any of the World’s Fairs. However, just from attending the first class and finding some information about this New York World’s Fair in Fair America, I gained an appreciation for these events. For example, I learned that each World’s Fair had a theme and name attached to it, and the New York World’s Fair of 1964-1965 was called “Peace Through Understanding.”
I am now excited to learn more about World’s Fairs in general: why they occurred, what was showcased, and who attended. I hope that I will have a chance to learn or research more about this particular World’s Fair, so that the next time I pass the Unisphere or the Observation Towers, instead of sitting silently in the back of the car, I will have something to teach my father!
*Weight taken from New York Times article “Around the Unisphere at the World’s Fair, Lives Changed.” April 14, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/nyregion/around-the-unisphere-at-the-worlds-fair-lives-changed.html?_r=0
Anthropology of the World's Fairs 