'30s World's Fair Menswear

[Marc Chevalier]

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The 1933-'34 Chicago World's Fair and the 1939-'40 New York World's Fair produced an avalanche of merchandise. I've never been a collector of the stuff -- until now. I couldn't resist these:


This is a collar bar from the '33 Chicago World's Fair. As you probably know, it clips onto a shirt collar's flaps, pulling them toward each other under the tie's knot. Anyway, check out the detail on this beauty. Made of chromed brass, it has the fair's logo on both ends, and actually says "Century of Progress - Chicago, 1933" on it. ("Century of Progress" was the fair's motto.) Cool!

And here is a collar bar from the 1939 World's Fair. Also made of nickel-plated brass. Needs to be polished a bit. It has the fair's Trylon and Perisphere logo on both ends, and says "New York 1939 - World's Fair" on it. Sharp, huh?

Can't wait to wear them!


If you have any menswear (or womenswear) from the '33 or '39 World's Fairs, tell us about them. Or better yet, show them here!

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[Marc Chevalier]

Wild Root, can you show us your cap from the '33 fair? Does it look like this one?

And here is a man's sterling ring. (Not mine, alas.) Needs a good polishing.

And a mighty fine tie bar:

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[Marc Chevalier]

Some collectors are keen on the staff uniforms actually worn at the fairs, but that's not my bag. Here's a jacket from the 1939 NY Fair:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

(Continuing with the monologue ... )

What I really want are a tie and suspenders with the '39 trylon and perisphere logo, but those are very hard to find. The ties show up on eBay once in a blue moon; they go for a lot of $$$.

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[Marc Chevalier]

Does no one else have World's Fair stuff? All right, all right ... it doesn't have to be strictly menswear. Anything is fine.

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[Marc Chevalier]

Salt shakers? Pencil cases? Telephone dialers (like the one in Breakfast at Tiffany's, only from the World's Fair)?

(Watch this become a thread on Breakfast at Tiffany's -- or on telephone dialers.)



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[CharlieH.]

All I got from the World's Fair is a plethora of pictures pillaged and plundered from eBay and other spots the "web", including scans from home movies, high-resolution construction photos, most of the films from the Internet Archive, and many a colour slide scan. (One of the pics is good enough to make your own 1939 NYWF coaster!)
Would that do the job?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

:eusa_clap That's what I'm talking about!


Question of the year, Charlie: Why were there so many topless female performers at the '39 fair? (Indeed, why were there any at all, considering the fair's very public and international scope?) What does this say about Golden Era's "standards of decency"?

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[CharlieH.]

Beats me, but from the looks of things, there were girlie shows in previous fairs and Treasure Island had Sally Rand... heck Sally Rand was everywhere! (I hear she was mysteriously pelted with stones at the San Diego expo of 1935). As for the decency standards... well, let's leave that to the more eloquent folks.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Strangely enough, I cannot imagine that a world's fair held today would have topless dancers, twirlers, swimmers, pose-holders ...


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[CharlieH.]

Well, nowadays, why put that on a world's fair, when you can find it just about everywhere and for free?

Anyway, here are some trinkets saved from the internet wasteland:

The coaster (Funny, did photobucket resize this one?)

Boy, do I love these graphics!

Wish it were 16mm....

And no 1930's fair would be complete without a midget village

Not a real NYWF item, but still a keen piece - Prop poster from The Rocketeer (I think)

Candid shot in front of the mighty E6

Evocative, eh?

Another colour shot of the ole T&P

The World's Fair in a nutshell!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Wow! And that SAVOY BALLROOM ticket is nuts! Thanks for sharing them ... got more? Sure you do!

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[CharlieH.]

There's plenty more, but I don't think the machine will permit further uploads... however:

Stickers... or are they pins?

The Kodak bldg. A screenshot from one of the films

Outside of the Savoy Ballroom

Jane Withers signs autographs during the Fair's 1939 season closing (These pics you can find at the Internet Archive - just search for "Medicus Collection")

Only thing missing from this poster is Doc Brown's DeLorean...

A brochure with a light 1950's feel

Once again, the T&P.... and a statue

The largest steam locomotive in the world... fair, that is.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Your color photos of the trylon and perisphere make it seem as if the Fair were going on right now ...

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[Marc Chevalier]

Look! There's Abercrombie & Fitch, back when their shirts and pants didn't have holes in them!

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[Marc Chevalier]

"Junket food products exhibit." Today it would be "Junk food products exhibit."

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[CharlieH.]

Sure wish it was happening now.
One last group... for now (the computer will crash any minute now):

I believe they made toy versions of these buses

A view of the... Futurama!

Didn't Mr. Burs give one of these to Homer for arriving early to the plant?

Railroads on Parade. Supposedly the hit show at the Fair.

And finally, one from my personal collection that can easily support the claim "I was there!"

Tis I, in front of the France building.(Not my best angle, to be perfectly frank)

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Futurama!

"This is the world of 1960!"

My favorite line from a short film I saw many years ago.

 

[Sefton]

1939 Golden Gate International Exposition Tie Clip

On a related note: I've just won this from the auction house of Mr.Edward Bay

I hope I didn't beat out any fellow lounge members. I'll buy you a drink in the club bar..

A few days ago I visited a local antique shop where I spotted this. The price was $25 and the owner wasn't going to go a penny lower...
I just got it for $10.50 ($12.50 with shipping). It's a rather neat looking item. I don't really know the market value. I feel like it was a bargain anyway. Now I just need some vintage 30s ties...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

That one is very, very sharp. If I had a collar bar with the exposition's logo (and I don't), I would have to steal that tie bar from you!

I just won a tie bar (and a collar bar) from the '33 World's Fair. Here's the tie bar:

Now I need a '39 NYWF tie bar (to go with my other collar bar). It's at the bottom of the photo:

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