Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the New York World's Fair
name: label: Collector
content: Orth, Edward J.
label: Collector
content: Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization
label: Names
content: New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)
place: label: Place
content: Flushing Meadows Park (New York, N.Y.)
label: Place
content: New York (N.Y.)
topic: label: Topic
content: Exhibitions -- 1930-1940 -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: World's fairs
label: Topic
content: Amusement parks--History
label: Topic
content: Amusement parks--New York (State)--History
label: Topic
content: Architecture--Exhibitions
label: Topic
content: Architecture--New York (State)--New York
label: Topic
content: Architecture--United States--Designs and plans
label: Topic
content: Burlesque shows--New York (State)--New York--1930-1940
label: Topic
content: Business history Business enterprises--United States--History
label: Topic
content: Chicago's Century of Progress
label: Topic
content: Construction and civil engineering
label: Topic
content: Construction industry--United States--Management--History
label: Topic
content: Corporate culture--History
label: Topic
content: Corporate culture--United States
label: Topic
content: Engineering--History--20th century
label: Topic
content: Exhibition buildings – New York (State) – New York
label: Topic
content: Exhibition buildings--1920-1940
label: Topic
content: Exhibitions -- Design
label: Topic
content: Fairs -- New York (State) -- New York -- History
label: Topic
content: Fashion--History--20th century
label: Topic
content: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (New York, N.Y.)--History
label: Topic
content: Food in popular culture--New York (State)--New York
label: Topic
content: Graphic arts--United States--History--20th century
label: Topic
content: International exhibitions
label: Topic
content: International Exhibitions Bureau
label: Topic
content: Lighting, Architectural and decorative--History--20th century
label: Topic
content: Technology -- United States -- History -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Transportation--New York Metropolitan Area--Planning
label: Topic
content: Transportation--New York (State)
label: Topic
content: United States --Foreign relations --1933-1945
label: Topic
content: Urban parks--United States--History
label: Topic
content: Urban design
label: Topic
content: World War 1939-1945 -- Economic aspects -- United States
label: Topic
content: Consumerism
label: Topic
content: Consumers--History--20th century
label: Topic
content: General Motors Corporation
label: Topic
content: Grand Central Parkway extension
label: Topic
content: Organizational behavior--United States--History
label: Topic
content: Public relations--History
label: Topic
content: New York World's Fair Commission
label: Topic
content: Queens (New York, N.Y.) Buildings, structures, etc.
creator: label: Collector
content: Orth, Edward J.
label: Collector
content: Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization
setName: label: See more items in
content: Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the New York World's Fair
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection documents the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York. Also includes material relating to other fairs, the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO), New York City tourism and The Walt Disney Company.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Biographical / Historical 

Edward Joseph Orth grew up with a strong interest in history, particularly the history of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Orth's visit to the fair as a twelve-year-old boy led to a life-long passion of collecting. At the time of his death, he had amassed enough materials to fill two homes in California. Orth also collected materials from several other fairs. In addition, he saved some of the records of the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and the World's Fair Collector's Society. 

Orth was born April 19, 1927, to Andrew Joseph Orth and Florence Minnie Gordon Orth in Glendale, New York. In the 1930s, the Orth family lived in several locations in New York including Ridgewood, Brooklyn, Glendale, and Queens. The home that made the most impact in young Orth's life came in 1935 when the family moved to St. Albans, Queens seven miles from Flushing Meadow Park, the future site of the 1939 fair. Sadly in 1939 there were several deaths in the family including three grandparents. The severe loss of life limited family social activities but a drive by the future site of the fair provided Orth a glimpse of the Trylon and Perisphere. He would later remark that the sight appeared to be magic. In the summer of 1939, he went to the fair with his classmates from Public School 136. The next summer Orth and his father purchased a 10-admission ticket from an elementary school in Hollis, Queens, New York. He saved every souvenir and any information he could find about the fair. He filled scrapbooks with images from newspapers and postcards from the Curt Teich and Manhattan Postcard companies. When his family moved from an apartment to a house, he acquired a fair bench which was kept in the backyard. 

In 1941, Orth attended Newton High School in Elmhurst, and Queens, New York. The high school offered a college preparatory program with heavy emphasis on mathematics, science, mechanical drawing, and workshop courses. Orth's education and training combined with the knowledge he gained from motion picture films viewed at the fair, including Thomas Edison's "The City of Light," Ford Motor Company's "Road of Tomorrow," "Democracy," and General Motors' "Futurama" provided the foundation and inspiration for a career in architecture and landscaping. He ultimately became a city planner for the state of California. By 1943, Orth was exploring used magazine and bookstores in New York City to acquire more fair materials before enlisting in the United States Army in 1945. Upon his discharge he resumed buying and trading fair postcards. From 1948-1953, Orth attended the University of California and the University of Connecticut where he studied architecture and landscape design. During these years he posted advertisements in various publications in his continued pursue for fair materials. 

In March 1953, Mr. Orth moved to Los Angeles, California. There he formed lasting friendships with other collectors. By 1967, Orth and several of his closest friends including Peter Warner, Oscar Hengstler, David Oats, Larry Zim, and Ernest Weidhaas conceived the idea of a fair collector's organization. By the summer of 1968, the group had formally created the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO). 

As time passed Orth became increasing concerned about the welfare of his collection. He wanted it to go to a museum rather than be sold in parts. In his will he stipulated that the collection would be given to the Smithsonian Institution upon his death. Jon Zackman, former Smithsonian employee, interviewed Orth's brother George and fair collector Peter Warner. Orth and Warner corresponded and traded objects over many years. Mr. Orth primarily covered the west coast area while Peter Warner was his east coast counterpart. Edward Orth died on September 6,1989 in Los Angeles, California at the age of sixty-two.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 130 Cubic feet (417 boxes, 25 map-folders)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1835-2000, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0560
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Souvenirs
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Pamphlets
label: Type
content: Guidebooks
label: Type
content: Exhibition posters--1930-1940
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Ephemera
label: Type
content: Film transparencies
label: Type
content: Motion picture film
label: Type
content: Posters
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into eleven series.


Series 1, Edward J. Orth Personal Papers, 1915-1989, undated


Subseries 1.1, Correspondence, 1939-1989


Subseries 1.2, Other Materials, 1915-1989, undated


Series 2, Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and World's Fair Collector's Society, Incorporated Records, 1942-1990, undated


Subseries 2.1, General Information, 1960-1988, undated


Subseries 2.2, Correspondence, 1942-1990, undated 


Subseries 2.3, Classified and Wanted Advertisements, 1956-1988, undated


Subseries 2.4, Financial Records, 1976-1989


Subseries 2.5, Newsletters, 1969-1988, undated


Subseries 2.6, Membership Materials, 1970s-1989, undated


Series 3, New York World's Fair, Incorporated Records, 1900-1988, undated


Subseries 3.1, Administrative Files, 1900-1977, undated


Subseries 3.2, Amusement Zone, 1937-1940, undated


Subseries 3.3, Communications and Business Systems Zone, 1939-1965, undated


Subseries 3.4, Community Interest Zone, 1939-1949, undated


Subseries 3.5, Food Zone, 1939-1975 


Subseries 3.6, Government Zone, 1939-1940 


Subseries 3.7, Production and Distribution Zone, 1939-1940


Subseries 3.8, Transportation Zone, 1939-1940 


Subseries 3.9, Ephemera, 1938-1988, undated


Series 4, Photographic Materials, 1939-1968, undated


Subseries 4.1, General, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 4.2, Amusement Area, 1939-1940, undated


Subseries 4.3, Business Systems Zone, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 4.4, Communications Zone, 1939-1940, undated


Subseries 4.5, Community Interest Zone, 1939-1940, undated 


Subseries 4.6, Food Zone, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 4.7, Government Zone, 1939-1940, undated 


Subseries 4.8, Production and Distribution Zone, 1939-1940, undated


Subseries 4.9, Transportation Zone, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 4.10, Miscellaneous, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 4.11, Oversize Photographs, 1939-1940, undated


Subseries 4.12, Color Slides, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 4.13, Color Transparencies, 1940-1942, undated


Subseries 4.14, Edward Orth, 1967-1968


Series 5, Scrapbooks, 1938-1981


Series 6, Postcards, 1906-1985, undated


Subseries 6.1, Amusement Area, 1939-1940, undated


Subseries 6.2, Business Systems Zone, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 6.3, Communications Zone, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 6.4, Community Interest Zone, 1939-1940, undated 


Subseries 6.5, Food Zone, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 6.6, Government Zone, International, 1939-1940, undated 


Subseries 6.7, Government Zone, Federal and States, 1939-1940, undated  


Subseries 6.8, Production and Distribution Zone, 1939-1940, undated 


Subseries 6.9, Transportation Zone, 1939-1940, undated  

 
Subseries 6.10, General, 1940, undated


Subseries 6.11, By Type, 1906-1985, undated


Series 7, Publications Related to World's Fairs, 1922-1989, undated


Subseries 7.1, Magazines, 1922-1988, undated 


Subseries 7.2, Newspaper Articles, 1935-1989, undated 


Subseries 7.3, Other Publications, 1937-1989, undated  


Subseries 7.4, Other Subjects, 1962-1989 


Series 8, Materials Relating to Other Fairs, 1851-2000, undated


Subseries 8.1, Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations or Crystal Palace Exhibition, 1851


Subseries 8.2, Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, 1853-1853


Subseries 8.3, International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine or Centennial International Exhibition, 1876


Subseries 8.4, World's Columbian Exposition or Chicago World's Fair, 1893


Subseries 8.5, Exposition Internationale D'Anvers, Antwerp, Belgium


Subseries 8.6, Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition, 1897 


Subseries 8.7, Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, 1898


Subseries 8.8, Expositions, 1901


Subseries 8.9, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1906


Subseries 8.10, Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition, 1907


Subseries 8.11, Alaska, Yukon, Pacific Exposition, 1909


Subseries 8.12, Panama-California Exposition, 1915-1916


Subseries 8.13, Bronx International Exposition of Science, Arts, and Industries, 1918 


Subseries 8.14, Sesquicentennial Exposition, 1926


Subseries 8.15, Barcelona International Exposition, 1929 


Subseries 8.16, L'Exposition Coloniale, Paris, 1931


Subseries 8.17, Olympics, 1932


Subseries 8.18, A Century of Progress International Exposition, 1933


Subseries 8.19, Expositions, 1933-1935


Subseries 8.20, Expositions, 1936-1937


Subseries 8.21, Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne, 1937


Subseries 8.22, Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939


Subseries 8.23, Festival of Britain, Britain, London, United Kingdom, 1951 


Subseries 8.24, Milan Fair, 1955 


Subseries 8.25, Exposition Universelle et venti Internationale de Bruxelles, 1958 


Subseries 8.26, American National Exhibition, 1959


Subseries 8.27, New York's World Fair, 1961-1977, undated


Subseries 8.28, Century 21 Exhibition, 1961-1962


Subseries 8.29, International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, 1967


Subseries 8.30, Long Beach, California, 1967-1968


Subseries 8.31, HemisFair 68, 1968


Subseries 8.32, Expo 70 or Japan World Exposition, 1970


Subseries 8.33, Expo 74 or International Exposition on the Environment


Subseries 8.34, Expo 75 or International Ocean Exposition, 1975 


Subseries 8.35, American Revolution Bicentennial, 1776-1976, 1976 


Subseries 8.36, Queen's Bicentennial Festival, 1975-1976


Subseries 8.37, Plovdiv International Exhibition of 1981 or Expo 81 


Subseries 8.38, Kobe Port Island Exposition or Portopia 81, 1981 


Subseries 8.39, Knoxville International Energy Exposition or 1982 World's Fair, 1982


Subseries 8.40, Louisiana World Exposition, 1984 


Subseries 8.41, Games of the XXIII Olympiad, 1984 


Subseries 8.42, The International Exposition, Tsukuba, Japan or The International Science Technology Exposition, 1985


Subseries 8.43, Queen's Festival, 1985


Subseries 8.44, 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication or Expo 86, 1986


Subseries 8.45, World Expo 88, 1988


Subseries 8.46, Universal Exposition of Seville or Expo 92, 1992


Subseries 8.47, Expo 2000, 2000


Subseries 8.48, Other Events and Celebrations, 1886-1989


Subseries 8.49, Combined Fairs, 1968-1994


Subseries 8.50, General information about world's fairs, 1964-1980


Series 9, Ephemera, 1892-1989, undated


Subseries 9.1, New York and New York World's Fair, 1892-1989, undated


Subseries 9.2, Other States and Countries, 1835, 1939, undated 


Subseries 9.3, Motion Picture Film and Entertainment, 1937-1981, undated 


Series 10, Audio Visual Materials, 1939, 1964-1965, undated


Subseries 10.1, Moving Images, 1939, 1964-1965, undated


Subseries 10.2, Sound Recordings, undated 


Series 11, Oversize, 1835-1992, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Jon Zackman, museum specialist, 1989; Ron Simon, intern, 1998; Anne Jones, volunteer, 2014; Franklin A. Robinson Jr., archivist, 2014; and Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2014.  Finding aid encoded by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2014.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Souvenirs -- 1930-1940
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1930-1940
label: Genre/Form
content: Pamphlets -- 1930-1940
label: Genre/Form
content: Guidebooks -- 1930-1940
label: Genre/Form
content: Exhibition posters--1930-1940
label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Ephemera -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Film transparencies
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion picture film
label: Genre/Form
content: Posters -- 1930-1940
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Collection primarily documents the conception, planning, construction, management, and operations of the 1939 New York World's Fair located in Flushing Meadows, New York. Materials provide historical context and cultural significance as recorded in publications, artwork, photographs, ephemera, postcards, maps, plans, exhibitor's literature, souvenirs, and motion picture film. Most of the materials were primarily created for people who attended the fair. Some of the materials include scrapbooks created by fair visitors to document their experiences.  There is a significant amount of material relating to other fairs, New York tourism, the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and the World's Fair Collector's Society.  Other forms of entertainment such as festivals, the Olympic games, and Disney World are also found among these materials. There is little information relating to Edward Orth's personal and professional life as a city planner. The collection is arranged into eleven series.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center


New York World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0134


Landor Design Collection, NMAH.AC.0500


Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subject Category, World Expos, NMAH.AC.0060 


Larry Zim World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0519 


Alice R. Hillis World's Fair Film, NMAH.AC.0531


Borden Company 1939 New York World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.1063


Memories of the New York World's Fair, NMAH.AC.0592


Archives Center World Expositions Collection, NMAH.AC.0825


Daniel H. Meyerson World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0745


Division of Community Life World's Fairs Collection, NMAH.AC.1132


Princeton University Posters Collection, NMAH.AC.0433


Hills Bros. Coffee Company, Incorporated Records, NMAH.AC.0395


Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project, NMAH.AC.0417


Messmore and Damon Company Records, NMAH.AC.0846


Thomas Norrell Railroad Collection, NMAH.AC.1174


William L. Bird Holidays on Display Collection, NMAH.AC.1288


Wurlitzer Company Records, NMAH.AC.0469


Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0200

Materials at Other Organizations


New York Public Library The New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records, 1935-1945, MssCol 2233.


New York City 1939 World's Fair architectural drawings, circa 1935. Museum of the City of New York. Museum of the City of New York.


New York City 1939 World's Fair Collection, 1939-1940. Museum of the City of New York. New York World's Fair 1939/40 Collection. Queens Museum. 


1939 New York World's Fair Postcards, Identifier: 1972-320, Audiovisual Collections Repository, Hagley Museum & Library
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: Materials at the National Museum of American History

Artifacts from the collection include several thousand souvenirs and examples of memorabilia commemorating the fair to include buttons and badges, ceramics, glassware, clothing, costume jewelry, coins and medals, commemorative spoons and flatware, toys and games, and philatelic material which are all part of the Division of Home and Community Life's holdings (now Division of Cultural and Community Life).