The Agricultural Society of New York was established in 1832, and like a number of other State Agricultural Societies, conducted Expositions or Fairs that preceded any of the National Expos and Fairs that drew International attendees.
This AM-61 medal, as recorded in R.W.Julians "Medals of The United States Mint, 1792-1892" is 53 mm struck in .900 gold (approx. 3 troy oz.) and was presented at the 1872 Fair in Elmira N.Y., to cattle rancher Charles Wadsworth of Geneseo, N.Y. Some of Julian's information on this issue is perhaps incorrect, as by his statement, the dies for this medal were presented to the Mint in 1885 (having been created in Birmingham, England) but which may have actually preceded the 1872 date of this medal.
Rather than repost the photos, here is a link to a thread I originated on the subject of the Pan-Pacific Exposition. Included are a number of vintage photos from period postcards and brochures. Others contributed additional photos and exposition sourced momentos to include commemoratives and medals.
@1northcoin said:
Rather than repost the photos, here is a link to a thread I originated on the subject of the Pan-Pacific Exposition. Included are a number of vintage photos from period postcards and brochures. Others contributed additional photos and exposition sourced momentos to include commemoratives and medals.
More research on this piece is needed, but it was understood to have been struck and issued as a souvenir for the DaVinci exhibit at the 1939-1930 New York World's Fair.
@ZoidMeister said:
My question: When and where was the last "official" World's Fair held?
I'm not sure I've seen one promoted in my lifetime.
Here's a list. There have been quite a few recently, but none in the US since 1984 when the Louisiana Expo declared bankruptcy, the only one to ever do so. After 1984, the US planned to have an World's Fair for Columbus in 1992 but it was cancelled while fairs in Italy and Spain were still held.
Expo 2010, officially the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October 2010. It was a major World Expo registered by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 2005.[1] The theme of the exposition was "Better City – Better Life" and signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as the "next great world city".[2] The Expo emblem features the Chinese character 世 ('world', Chinese "shì") modified to represent three people together with the 2010 date. It had the largest number of countries participating and was the most expensive Expo in the history of the world's fairs. The Shanghai World Expo was also the largest World's Fair site ever at 5.28 square km.[3]
By the end of the expo, over 73 million people had visited – a record attendance – and 246 countries and international organizations had participated.[4] On 16 October 2010, the expo set a single-day record of over 1.03 million visitors.[5]
The last US Expo in the list is the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition
The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. It opened on Saturday, May 12, 1984, and ended on Sunday, November 11, 1984.[1] Its theme was "The World of Rivers—Fresh Waters as a Source of Life".
Plagued with attendance problems, the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was the only exposition to declare bankruptcy during its run.[2] Many blamed the low attendance on the fact that it was staged just two years and two states from Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair,[2] and because it coincided with the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Others believe that the 1982 opening of Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center may have also drawn more people to Orlando, Florida. There has not been a World's Fair in the United States since the exposition in New Orleans as of 2020.
Two 1876 Philadelphia Centennial sets ... One in gold plated bronze, white metal, and silver.
And another in pressed wood.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
_Exhibitions
Babbage's Analytical Engine
The exhibition was a showcase of the advances made in the industrial revolution , especially in the decade since the first Great Exhibition of 1851. Among the items on display were; the electric telegraph, submarine cables, the first plastic, Parkesine , machine tools, looms and precision instruments.[4]
The nave from the Western Dome.
A stereoscopic view of the 1862 International Exhibition interior pub-
lished by the London Stereoscopic Company
Exhibits included such large pieces of machinery as parts of Charles Babbage's analytical engine, cotton mills, and maritime engines made by the firms of Henry Maudslay and Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes. There was also a range of smaller goods including fabrics, rugs, sculptures, furniture, plates, porcelain, silver and glass wares, and wallpaper.
The manufacture of ice by an early refrigerator caused a sensation.[4]
The work shown by William Morris's decorative arts firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. attracted much notice. The exposition also introduced the use of caoutchouc for rubber production and the Bessemer process for steel manufacture.
Benjamin Simpson showed photos from the Indian subcontinent.
London and North Western Railway Lady of the Lake class locomotive
No. 531 exhibited at the exhibition, which proved a great attraction.
William England led a team of stereoscopic photographers, which included William Russell Sedgfield and Stephen Thompson, to produce a series of 350 stereo views of the exhibition for the London Stereoscopic Company. The images were made using the new collodion wet plate process which allowed exposure times of only a few seconds. These images provide a vivid three-dimensional record of the exhibition. They were on sale to the public in boxed sets and were delivered to the Queen by messenger so that she could experience the exhibition from her seclusion in mourning.
The London and North Western Railway exhibited one of their express passenger locomotives, No. 531 Lady of the Lake. A sister locomotive, No. 229 Watt had famously carried Trent Affair despatches earlier that year,[6] but the Lady of the Lake (which won a bronze medal at the exhibition) was so popular that the entire class of locomotive became known as Ladies of the Lake.[7]
_
.
.
what has always amazed me about these very extensive Fairs and Expositions is that they are totally demolished afterwards, typically leaving some sort of a remnant landmark for posterity. consider the fabulous "Palace of Art and Industry" pictured by coinsarefun.
a magnificent structure, demolished at Exposition's end.
The Chicago Century of Progress Exposition and World's Fair (1933-1934):
My mother and grandmother lived in Chicago then and attended the fair several times.
Chicago Exposition Good Luck Coin - Dont Worry Club
Brass, 32 mm, 9.17 gm
Obverse:
Century of Progress Logo
1833 1933 SOUVENIR / A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / CHICAGO
GREENDUCK, CHI. (Manufacturer)
Reverse:
Swastika, Horseshoe, Four-Leaf Clover, Wishbone, Runes
MEMBERSHIP EMBLEM OF THE DONT WORRY CLUB / GOOD LUCK
GREENDUCK, CHI. (Manufacturer)
The Greenduck Metal Stamping Company was based in Chicago.
Brass, 32 mm, 10.19 gm
Obverse:
Century of Progress Logo
1933 CHICAGO
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS
Reverse:
Hall of Science Building with two trees in front
HALL OF SCIENCE / CENTURY OF PROGRESS
My mother saved this booklet:
Chicago Exposition - Chinese Lama Temple Booklet cover
The Chinese Lama Temple Potala of Jehol
A Century of Progress International Exposition - Chicago
Souvenir booklet from the exhibit "Potala of Jehol" at the fair.
Exhibition of Historical and Ethnographical Collection
Made by Dr. Gosta Montell, Member of Dr. Sven Hedin's Expedition and Donated by Vincent Bendix
Published by the Lakeside Press, R.R. Donnelley & Sons, Chicago, 1932
Copyright, 1932, by Sven Hedin, Chicago
The exhibit was a replica of a Chinese replica of a Tibetan temple.
Supposedly it also included a "girlie show".
Sven Hedin was a famous Swedish explorer of Asia from the 1890's to the 1930's.
My mother saved this admission ticket:
Chicago Exposition - Admission ticket 1934
A SOUVENIR OF / A CENTURY OF PROGRESS
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION CHICAGO
1934
GOOD FOR ONE ADMISSION TO OLD ENGLAND
VOID IF DETACHED / PRICE 25¢ TAX FREE
GOOD FOR ONE GENERAL ADMISSION
VOID IF DETACHED / PRICE 50¢ TAX FREE
My mother saved this item:
Chicago Exposition - Wooden Nickel Indian
Wood, 35 mm, 2.18 gm
Obverse:
Indian facing
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / 1833 1933 / WOODEN NICKEL
Reverse:
Century of Progress Logo
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / 1833 1933 / CHICAGO
@WillieBoyd2 My mother and grandparents were also there in Chicago for the 1933 World's Fair. Have heard a lot about it over the years but don't recall details as to their attendance. I recall being told that one of the famous attractions were performances by Sally Rand, a fan dancer. Reportedly Judy Garland performed in the Old Morocco venue.
Unlike the previous 1893 Exposition in Chicago which left us the legacy of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, there are apparently no notable buildings that survive today from the 1933-1934 extravaganza.
Ironically though, a heralded "exhibit" at the 1933-34 fair that was shown in 1934 is housed in the Museum of Science and Industry. It is the first diesel powered streamlined stainless-steel passenger train, the Pioneer Zephyr which was first introduced at the fair and was initially known as the Burlington Zephyr.
The Zephyr displayed at the Chicago Fair in 1934 had just set a new speed record from Denver to Chicago going at speeds up to 112.5 miles per hour with an average speed of 78 mph. It was the first successful streamliner on American Railroads and its nickname at the Chicago World's Fair was "The Silver Streak."
In addition the Museum of Science and Industry itself first opened as an event in conjunction with the 1933 Fair.
Here is a nice toned US Mint silver from the Spokane Expo 74 World's fair, which I did attend. The art medal shows evergreen trees on each side, the Spokane river falls and river rocks below the sun, to honor the Spokane Indians, who are "The Children of the Sun".
I'm a big fan of merchant store cards that are tied to expositions.
Here are a couple of American Railway Supply tokens from the Columbian Exposition from my George Bache Soley collection. The obverse looks like a Soley piece but the reverse doesn't look like other pieces (from any die sinker), so it's a bit of a curiosity.
@keets said:
what has always amazed me about these very extensive Fairs and Expositions is that they are totally demolished afterwards, typically leaving some sort of a remnant landmark for posterity. consider the fabulous "Palace of Art and Industry" pictured by coinsarefun.
a magnificent structure, demolished at Exposition's end.
It's true that very few buildings survived have survived, but the reality is that they were built too cheaply to survive and there was probably no reason to keep them. To see the sad state of other buildings that were built and not used, we only have to look at the many Olympic parks around the world.
Here are some that survived:
1876 Centennial Exposition - Memorial Hall Art Gallery
Memorial Hall is a Beaux-Arts style building in the Centennial District of West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built as the art gallery for the 1876 Centennial Exposition, it is the only major structure from that exhibition to survive.
Originally built of plaster, wood, and brick, the Parthenon was not intended to be permanent, but the cost of demolishing the structure combined with its popularity with residents and visitors alike resulted in it being left standing after the Exposition.
1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition - Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District of San Francisco, California is a monumental structure originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in order to exhibit works of art. Completely rebuilt from 1964 to 1974,[1] it is one of only a few surviving structures from the Exposition.
...
While most of the exposition was demolished when the exposition ended, the Palace was so beloved that a Palace Preservation League, founded by Phoebe Apperson Hearst, was founded while the fair was still in progress.[8]
The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and its adjacent artificial lagoon are the only major remnants of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition still in their original locations on the former fairgrounds (now the city's Marina District neighborhood), but the building is almost entirely a reconstruction. The plaster-surfaced original, not intended to survive after the fair, was a crumbling ruin in 1964 when all but the steel framework was demolished so that it could be reproduced in concrete. The San Francisco Civic Auditorium, now the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, is another major legacy of the fair but was built off-site in the city's Civic Center. The independent Panama-California Exposition in San Diego left a substantial legacy of permanent buildings and other structures which today define its site, San Diego's central Balboa Park, including the Prado walkway, the California Tower and Dome (now home to the Museum of Man), the 1,500-foot Cabrillo Bridge, the lily pond and botanical gardens, and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.[22]
It's true that very few buildings have survived, but the reality is that they were built too cheaply to survive and there was probably no reason to keep them.
the tradition was always to keep one structure standing at the Exhibition site to commemorate the mere fact that an Exhibition/World's Fair had been held.
@coinsarefun said:
1964-1965 New York World's Fair Unisphere Presented by United States Steel
Medallic Art Co. .999+ pure silver #5784 it weighs 2 ounces 44.5mm and the center devices protrude out.
.
Super cool design and I've tried to capture what is written around the edge but need larger reflectors but you still get the idea.
PCGS does not have a silver graded as of yet however they do have a bronze 64mm with a trueview
. The Unisphere according to Wikipedia link **
. I found an edge view on Numista here
.
Lets see what everyone has to celebrate the Worlds Fairs and all mans' progress
.
.
.
.
. Edge view from Numista website
.
.
Nice remembrances. I was at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Will have to see if I still have any momentos from it, or even photos. I do recall seeing many many years later the big Uniroyal (?) Tire on the side of a roadway which came from the Fair.
Still looking, but I did find this photo of yours truly enroute to the 1964 New York World's Fair - a stop over at Valley Forge.
@keets said: It's true that very few buildings have survived, but the reality is that they were built too cheaply to survive and there was probably no reason to keep them.
the tradition was always to keep one structure standing at the Exhibition site to commemorate the mere fact that an Exhibition/World's Fair had been held.
Is that documented anywhere and when did the tradition start? It seems the Tennessee and PPIE kept buildings that weren’t planned to be kept so I’m wondering if they are before or after the tradition started? Of note the PPIE structure had to be completely rebuilt because the original idea wasn't to keep it.
@keets said: It's true that very few buildings have survived, but the reality is that they were built too cheaply to survive and there was probably no reason to keep them.
the tradition was always to keep one structure standing at the Exhibition site to commemorate the mere fact that an Exhibition/World's Fair had been held.
FWIW, this structure (The Sun Goddess) which was a symbol of Expo '70 (The Japan 1970 World's Fair) survives to this day. During the Fair itself it was as iconic a symbol representing the Fair as the Space Needle was for the Seattle World's Fair.
The Exposition Universelle of 1900, better known in English as the 1900 Paris Exposition, was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 14 April to 12 November 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. The fair, visited by nearly 50 million, displayed many technological innovations, including the Grande Roue de Paris Ferris wheel, the moving sidewalk, diesel engines, talking films, escalators, and the telegraphone (the first magnetic audio recorder). It also brought international attention to the Art Nouveau style. Additionally, it showcased France as a major colonial power through numerous pavilions built on the hill of the Trocadero Palace. Major structures remaining from the Exposition include the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Pont Alexandre III, the Gare d'Orsay railroad station (now the Musée d'Orsay) and two original entrances of Paris Métro stations by Hector Guimard.
@keets said:
what has always amazed me about these very extensive Fairs and Expositions is that they are totally demolished afterwards, typically leaving some sort of a remnant landmark for posterity. consider the fabulous "Palace of Art and Industry" pictured by coinsarefun.
a magnificent structure, demolished at Exposition's end.
Many of those buildings were not built to last. The structures at the Colombian Exposition, which looked like stone and marble were really plaster of Paris over a steel skeleton. Even if they had been left, they would have deteriorated. The one building that is left from that expo, which now the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, was the only one that was made from durable materials.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
@coinsarefun said:
1964-1965 New York World's Fair Unisphere Presented by United States Steel
Medallic Art Co. .999+ pure silver #5784 it weighs 2 ounces 44.5mm and the center devices protrude out.
.
Super cool design and I've tried to capture what is written around the edge but need larger reflectors but you still get the idea.
PCGS does not have a silver graded as of yet however they do have a bronze 64mm with a trueview
. The Unisphere according to Wikipedia link **
. I found an edge view on Numista here
.
Lets see what everyone has to celebrate the Worlds Fairs and all mans' progress
.
.
.
.
. Edge view from Numista website
.
.
Nice remembrances. I was at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Will have to see if I still have any momentos from it, or even photos. I do recall seeing many many years later the big Uniroyal (?) Tire on the side of a roadway which came from the Fair.
OK, I finally located this photo I took of the huge tire that incorporated a Ferris wheel at the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Interestingly I also found a news cllping that confirmed what happened to the huge tire after the Fair, the one I recalled seeing years later on the side of a roadway. It was retreaded to remove the Ferris wheel, the tire maker's name altered, and relocated to Detroit!
I'll bet some here have even seen it in Detroit without knowing its origins as having come from the 1964 New York World's Fair.
@Goldminers said:
Official National Commemorative of the US Mint, Seattle 1962 World's Fair. This large .900 silver one is 2.5 inches across and weighs 4.9 ounces. Only 1,000 minted.
Too Cool. I won a prize for selling the most newspaper subscriptions in my city and for the prize got a plane ticket to the Seattle World's Fair along with being hosted there by the paper.
OK, took some searching but I found an album I had put together after my return from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. @ricko may find it of interest to compare the Fair map layout from then with the grounds now surrounding the Space Needle as he knew them while working in the vicinity.
In any event, here is what I found in my "Time Capsule."
The final above photo is an actual "souvenir" from the Fair. It is a sent and received handwritten telegram that was transported visually across the country and back. Interesting technology that preceded by decades what our smart phones can do today.
I just found this which better describes the technology I experienced at the 1962 Seattle World' Fair which predated by two decades the advent of fax machines.
@1northcoin.... Thanks for the map and pictures.... Yes.... those grounds are way, way different now. Some of the buildings are still there, others have been eliminated or added to over the years. Cheers, RickO
I have several medals/ tokens, etc. from the New York Worlds Fair. I don't know or remember how I got them....but.....I do remember that that event was a BIG DEAL back then.
@Hydrant said:
I have several medals/ tokens, etc. from the New York Worlds Fair. I don't know or remember how I got them....but.....I do remember that that event was a BIG DEAL back then.
Looking forward to seeing them if you have been able to locate and image.
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose.
Comments
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
1894 California Midwinter Expo
The Agricultural Society of New York was established in 1832, and like a number of other State Agricultural Societies, conducted Expositions or Fairs that preceded any of the National Expos and Fairs that drew International attendees.
This AM-61 medal, as recorded in R.W.Julians "Medals of The United States Mint, 1792-1892" is 53 mm struck in .900 gold (approx. 3 troy oz.) and was presented at the 1872 Fair in Elmira N.Y., to cattle rancher Charles Wadsworth of Geneseo, N.Y. Some of Julian's information on this issue is perhaps incorrect, as by his statement, the dies for this medal were presented to the Mint in 1885 (having been created in Birmingham, England) but which may have actually preceded the 1872 date of this medal.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
Does an item commemorating a commemorative count? These are excellent.
Rather than repost the photos, here is a link to a thread I originated on the subject of the Pan-Pacific Exposition. Included are a number of vintage photos from period postcards and brochures. Others contributed additional photos and exposition sourced momentos to include commemoratives and medals.
Enjoy!
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/11959097#Comment_11959097
The offered linked thread is titled, "For the Pan-Pac Collectors - Vintage scenes from where your coins emanated."
When you click on the link it will take you to the middle of the thread. Scroll up to the top for salient postings.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/11959097#Comment_11959097
More research on this piece is needed, but it was understood to have been struck and issued as a souvenir for the DaVinci exhibit at the 1939-1930 New York World's Fair.
Z
.
.
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
Successful BST transactions with: Bullsitter, Downtown1974, P0CKETCHANGE, Twobitcollector, AKbeez, DCW, Illini420, ProofCollection, DCarr, Cazkaboom, RichieURich, LukeMarshall, carew4me, BustDMs, coinsarefun, PreTurb, felinfoal, jwitten, GoldenEgg, pruebas, lazybones, COCollector, CuKevin, MWallace, USMC_6115, NamVet69, zippcity, . . . . who'd I forget?
My question: When and where was the last "official" World's Fair held?
I'm not sure I've seen one promoted in my lifetime.
Z
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
Successful BST transactions with: Bullsitter, Downtown1974, P0CKETCHANGE, Twobitcollector, AKbeez, DCW, Illini420, ProofCollection, DCarr, Cazkaboom, RichieURich, LukeMarshall, carew4me, BustDMs, coinsarefun, PreTurb, felinfoal, jwitten, GoldenEgg, pruebas, lazybones, COCollector, CuKevin, MWallace, USMC_6115, NamVet69, zippcity, . . . . who'd I forget?
Here's a list. There have been quite a few recently, but none in the US since 1984 when the Louisiana Expo declared bankruptcy, the only one to ever do so. After 1984, the US planned to have an World's Fair for Columbus in 1992 but it was cancelled while fairs in Italy and Spain were still held.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world's_fairs#2020s
Here's some info on Shanghai's Expo 2010, the largest expo of all:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2010
The last US Expo in the list is the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Louisiana_World_Exposition
Two 1876 Philadelphia Centennial sets ... One in gold plated bronze, white metal, and silver.
And another in pressed wood.
.
.
I'm guessing this one qualifies.
Z
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
Successful BST transactions with: Bullsitter, Downtown1974, P0CKETCHANGE, Twobitcollector, AKbeez, DCW, Illini420, ProofCollection, DCarr, Cazkaboom, RichieURich, LukeMarshall, carew4me, BustDMs, coinsarefun, PreTurb, felinfoal, jwitten, GoldenEgg, pruebas, lazybones, COCollector, CuKevin, MWallace, USMC_6115, NamVet69, zippcity, . . . . who'd I forget?
Here is a horrible song and video called "The State Fair"
1862-DATED G.BRITAIN M. LYONS, BIRMINGHAM-GILT INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION NGC MS 64
.
.
.
.
Information Taken from Wikipedia
_Exhibitions
Babbage's Analytical Engine
The exhibition was a showcase of the advances made in the industrial revolution , especially in the decade since the first Great Exhibition of 1851. Among the items on display were; the electric telegraph, submarine cables, the first plastic, Parkesine , machine tools, looms and precision instruments.[4]
The nave from the Western Dome.
A stereoscopic view of the 1862 International Exhibition interior pub-
lished by the London Stereoscopic Company
Exhibits included such large pieces of machinery as parts of Charles Babbage's analytical engine, cotton mills, and maritime engines made by the firms of Henry Maudslay and Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes. There was also a range of smaller goods including fabrics, rugs, sculptures, furniture, plates, porcelain, silver and glass wares, and wallpaper.
The manufacture of ice by an early refrigerator caused a sensation.[4]
The work shown by William Morris's decorative arts firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. attracted much notice. The exposition also introduced the use of caoutchouc for rubber production and the Bessemer process for steel manufacture.
Benjamin Simpson showed photos from the Indian subcontinent.
London and North Western Railway Lady of the Lake class locomotive
No. 531 exhibited at the exhibition, which proved a great attraction.
William England led a team of stereoscopic photographers, which included William Russell Sedgfield and Stephen Thompson, to produce a series of 350 stereo views of the exhibition for the London Stereoscopic Company. The images were made using the new collodion wet plate process which allowed exposure times of only a few seconds. These images provide a vivid three-dimensional record of the exhibition. They were on sale to the public in boxed sets and were delivered to the Queen by messenger so that she could experience the exhibition from her seclusion in mourning.
The London and North Western Railway exhibited one of their express passenger locomotives, No. 531 Lady of the Lake. A sister locomotive, No. 229 Watt had famously carried Trent Affair despatches earlier that year,[6] but the Lady of the Lake (which won a bronze medal at the exhibition) was so popular that the entire class of locomotive became known as Ladies of the Lake.[7]
_
.
.
.
.
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
what has always amazed me about these very extensive Fairs and Expositions is that they are totally demolished afterwards, typically leaving some sort of a remnant landmark for posterity. consider the fabulous "Palace of Art and Industry" pictured by coinsarefun.
a magnificent structure, demolished at Exposition's end.
The Chicago Century of Progress Exposition and World's Fair (1933-1934):
My mother and grandmother lived in Chicago then and attended the fair several times.
Chicago Exposition Good Luck Coin - Dont Worry Club
Brass, 32 mm, 9.17 gm
Obverse:
Century of Progress Logo
1833 1933 SOUVENIR / A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / CHICAGO
GREENDUCK, CHI. (Manufacturer)
Reverse:
Swastika, Horseshoe, Four-Leaf Clover, Wishbone, Runes
MEMBERSHIP EMBLEM OF THE DONT WORRY CLUB / GOOD LUCK
GREENDUCK, CHI. (Manufacturer)
The Greenduck Metal Stamping Company was based in Chicago.
Brass, 32 mm, 10.19 gm
Obverse:
Century of Progress Logo
1933 CHICAGO
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS
Reverse:
Hall of Science Building with two trees in front
HALL OF SCIENCE / CENTURY OF PROGRESS
My mother saved this booklet:
Chicago Exposition - Chinese Lama Temple Booklet cover
The exhibit was a replica of a Chinese replica of a Tibetan temple.
Supposedly it also included a "girlie show".
Sven Hedin was a famous Swedish explorer of Asia from the 1890's to the 1930's.
My mother saved this admission ticket:
Chicago Exposition - Admission ticket 1934
A SOUVENIR OF / A CENTURY OF PROGRESS
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION CHICAGO
1934
GOOD FOR ONE ADMISSION TO OLD ENGLAND
VOID IF DETACHED / PRICE 25¢ TAX FREE
GOOD FOR ONE GENERAL ADMISSION
VOID IF DETACHED / PRICE 50¢ TAX FREE
My mother saved this item:
Chicago Exposition - Wooden Nickel Indian
Wood, 35 mm, 2.18 gm
Obverse:
Indian facing
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / 1833 1933 / WOODEN NICKEL
Reverse:
Century of Progress Logo
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / 1833 1933 / CHICAGO
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
@WillieBoyd2 My mother and grandparents were also there in Chicago for the 1933 World's Fair. Have heard a lot about it over the years but don't recall details as to their attendance. I recall being told that one of the famous attractions were performances by Sally Rand, a fan dancer. Reportedly Judy Garland performed in the Old Morocco venue.
Unlike the previous 1893 Exposition in Chicago which left us the legacy of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, there are apparently no notable buildings that survive today from the 1933-1934 extravaganza.
Ironically though, a heralded "exhibit" at the 1933-34 fair that was shown in 1934 is housed in the Museum of Science and Industry. It is the first diesel powered streamlined stainless-steel passenger train, the Pioneer Zephyr which was first introduced at the fair and was initially known as the Burlington Zephyr.
The Zephyr displayed at the Chicago Fair in 1934 had just set a new speed record from Denver to Chicago going at speeds up to 112.5 miles per hour with an average speed of 78 mph. It was the first successful streamliner on American Railroads and its nickname at the Chicago World's Fair was "The Silver Streak."
In addition the Museum of Science and Industry itself first opened as an event in conjunction with the 1933 Fair.
Here is a nice toned US Mint silver from the Spokane Expo 74 World's fair, which I did attend. The art medal shows evergreen trees on each side, the Spokane river falls and river rocks below the sun, to honor the Spokane Indians, who are "The Children of the Sun".
My US Mint Commemorative Medal Set
This is #393 of 400 minted in silver and then gilt for the Expo.
My US Mint Commemorative Medal Set
1894 Hk-245 Brass Type 1 California Midwinter Expo MS62.
.
.
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
I'm a big fan of merchant store cards that are tied to expositions.
Here are a couple of American Railway Supply tokens from the Columbian Exposition from my George Bache Soley collection. The obverse looks like a Soley piece but the reverse doesn't look like other pieces (from any die sinker), so it's a bit of a curiosity.
It's true that very few buildings survived have survived, but the reality is that they were built too cheaply to survive and there was probably no reason to keep them. To see the sad state of other buildings that were built and not used, we only have to look at the many Olympic parks around the world.
Here are some that survived:
1876 Centennial Exposition - Memorial Hall Art Gallery
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Hall_(Philadelphia)
1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon_(Nashville)
1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition - Palace of Fine Arts
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Fine_Arts
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_fair#Legacy
Here’s a neat enameled piece from the Pan-Pac exhibition that was to cool to pass up.
>
.
.
.
My favorite place to visit when I'm there. But, still haven't made it there in 30 years!
.
.
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
.
..
This is fantastic!
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
It's true that very few buildings have survived, but the reality is that they were built too cheaply to survive and there was probably no reason to keep them.
the tradition was always to keep one structure standing at the Exhibition site to commemorate the mere fact that an Exhibition/World's Fair had been held.
Still looking, but I did find this photo of yours truly enroute to the 1964 New York World's Fair - a stop over at Valley Forge.
Is that documented anywhere and when did the tradition start? It seems the Tennessee and PPIE kept buildings that weren’t planned to be kept so I’m wondering if they are before or after the tradition started? Of note the PPIE structure had to be completely rebuilt because the original idea wasn't to keep it.
FWIW, this structure (The Sun Goddess) which was a symbol of Expo '70 (The Japan 1970 World's Fair) survives to this day. During the Fair itself it was as iconic a symbol representing the Fair as the Space Needle was for the Seattle World's Fair.
My photo below was taken during Expo '70.
Another view of the sculpture included:
One of my favorites.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
What a monumental Exposition that was in 1900.
From Wikipedia:
The Exposition Universelle of 1900, better known in English as the 1900 Paris Exposition, was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 14 April to 12 November 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. The fair, visited by nearly 50 million, displayed many technological innovations, including the Grande Roue de Paris Ferris wheel, the moving sidewalk, diesel engines, talking films, escalators, and the telegraphone (the first magnetic audio recorder). It also brought international attention to the Art Nouveau style. Additionally, it showcased France as a major colonial power through numerous pavilions built on the hill of the Trocadero Palace. Major structures remaining from the Exposition include the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Pont Alexandre III, the Gare d'Orsay railroad station (now the Musée d'Orsay) and two original entrances of Paris Métro stations by Hector Guimard.
Many of those buildings were not built to last. The structures at the Colombian Exposition, which looked like stone and marble were really plaster of Paris over a steel skeleton. Even if they had been left, they would have deteriorated. The one building that is left from that expo, which now the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, was the only one that was made from durable materials.
OK, I finally located this photo I took of the huge tire that incorporated a Ferris wheel at the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Interestingly I also found a news cllping that confirmed what happened to the huge tire after the Fair, the one I recalled seeing years later on the side of a roadway. It was retreaded to remove the Ferris wheel, the tire maker's name altered, and relocated to Detroit!
I'll bet some here have even seen it in Detroit without knowing its origins as having come from the 1964 New York World's Fair.
OK, took some searching but I found an album I had put together after my return from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. @ricko may find it of interest to compare the Fair map layout from then with the grounds now surrounding the Space Needle as he knew them while working in the vicinity.
In any event, here is what I found in my "Time Capsule."
The final above photo is an actual "souvenir" from the Fair. It is a sent and received handwritten telegram that was transported visually across the country and back. Interesting technology that preceded by decades what our smart phones can do today.
Very cool stuff @northcoin thank for posting all these pics!
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
Thanks.
I just found this which better describes the technology I experienced at the 1962 Seattle World' Fair which predated by two decades the advent of fax machines.
Love it! Is this piece yours? Do you know anything about mintages or whether restrikes were done?
@1northcoin.... Thanks for the map and pictures.... Yes.... those grounds are way, way different now. Some of the buildings are still there, others have been eliminated or added to over the years. Cheers, RickO
I have several medals/ tokens, etc. from the New York Worlds Fair. I don't know or remember how I got them....but.....I do remember that that event was a BIG DEAL back then.
Looking forward to seeing them if you have been able to locate and image.
1876 International Exhibition First Steam Coining Press - Masonic Medalette - by George Bache Soley - raw
I love how this says it was stuck by the Mint's first steam powered coining press.
The alignment of the digits in the year is also nice.
This is just the second one I've seen, and I have both of them.
Very cool! Interesting inclusion of the Masonic symbol.
Wow - lotta cool material!
Well at least with competitors vying for "World" records, this is "Fair" related.
I thought I had posted this one, but it seems I haven't.
Z
.
.
Busy chasing Carr's . . . . . woof!
Successful BST transactions with: Bullsitter, Downtown1974, P0CKETCHANGE, Twobitcollector, AKbeez, DCW, Illini420, ProofCollection, DCarr, Cazkaboom, RichieURich, LukeMarshall, carew4me, BustDMs, coinsarefun, PreTurb, felinfoal, jwitten, GoldenEgg, pruebas, lazybones, COCollector, CuKevin, MWallace, USMC_6115, NamVet69, zippcity, . . . . who'd I forget?
Added:
Letterhead from 1893
Just located this from the 1970 Japan World's Fair (Expo 70) which I acquired there at the time of the exposition.