Tomorrow-Land: The 1964-65 World's Fair and the Transformation of America
When New York’s Parks Commissioner Robert Moses began planning the 1964–65 World’s Fair in 1961, he enjoyed the support of President John F. Kennedy and many wealthy businessmen. Styled as the Master Builder, 73-year-old Moses constructed highways, bridges, and parks. But his bullying ways ran up against a new generation of political activists who threatened traffic “stall-ins” and sit-ins when the fair opened just five months after Kennedy’s assassination. While other pavilions showcased Goya, El Greco, and Michelangelo’s La Pieta, the art establishment scoffed at the New York pavilion’s pop artists Robert Indiana, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. Tirella’s story flows with a wealth of historical content that reveals how strongly the World’s Fair reflected the times. He covers, for example, the rise of Malcolm X, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles, and how the fair highlighted new inventions, including color TVs and shiny Ford Mustangs. Walt Disney even introduced concepts there that ended up in his nascent Florida theme park, including a ride-around-the-world exhibit filled with tiny singing dolls. Yes, it was a small world, after all. --Laurie Borman