Did you read on SRAs?
Posted on 06/11/2014 6:42:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The New York World's Fair of 1964 introduced 51 million visitors to a range of technological innovations and predictions during its run.
Fifty years later, some of those ideas have turned out to be commonplace in our world, such as video phone calls and asking computers for information.
But some of them - colonies on the moon and jet packs as a mode of everyday transportation - remain firmly on the drawing board.
WHAT THEY HAD WRONG
Colonies on the moon, underwater and in Antarctica
The Futurama 2 ride at the fair was sponsored by General Motors and presented a possible vision of the world 60 years into the future.
Designed by Norman Bel Geddes, it showcased it included scenes of colonies on the moon as well as in Antarctica, huge underwater dwellings, moving sidewalks, computer-guided cars zipping along congestion-free highways and a machine that used a laser to cut through rainforests, leaving behind paved roads....
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Original title: From the Ford Mustang to colonies on the moon: Predictions that the 1964 World's Fair got right... and what it got very wrong
I had to take a look, you’re right, it does look like Truman.
Our senior class trip was to Washington DC and the New York World’s Fair in 1965. I can’t remember too much but we loved it. Quite a difference from rural Florida.
I do remember the Ford pavilion let you ride in Ford Convertibles tho they were on some type of conveyer belt. Dupont had a really good show. One of the prettiest girls I have ever seen was at the Greek pavilion.
The food was reasonable and everything was clean, just the opposite of the city. I remember an elderly woman who looked Jewish at one of the engraving booths. She put my name on some medals I had recently won at the Florida State Track Meet in Gainesville. She refused to accept any money. Such a nice lady but a lot of other New Yorkers were not so nice.
I was there. Didn’t have much time so saw little of it. I did see Michelangelo’s Pieta, which was on a rare loan to the fair. I saw it again in Rome 14 years later.
One other thing I recall is they had a large diamond just hanging in space. There was a sign saying to go ahead and take it.
Of course it was a hologram. The first one I had ever seen. Now that I think about it, it was the only one I have ever seen in person.
I remember traveling there from Ohio with my parents. Cruising along in our 58 Chevy Delray. Back then a gathering like this was considered a really “big deal”.
I've changed my mind about a number of things. For one, I don't think $2300 is a lot of money for a '64 Mustang anymore. For another, I think there might be a future for computers after all. But using them to communicate with one another over a world-wide network? Impossible!
We lived in upstate NY at that time. Dad offered my sister and I 12 inch “portable” B&W TVs for our own bedrooms or a trip to the World’s Fair in NYC. Which do you think the 14 year old and his 12 year old sister chose?
I regret getting that lousy TV with three fuzzy stations to this day. Dad sure snookered us good!
I did get to the Spokane World’s Fair only 9 years later on my own. It was a great event, but sure not on the scale of the NY World’s Fair.
Wonder whatever happened to that old TV?
When I was in college there was a Fred’s Discount store within walking distance. They had a Panasonic, maybe 9” TV for around a hundred dollars.
For some reason, I really wanted that little B&W TV. I was on an athletic scholarship but didn’t have a lot of money. I did get a 12 inch AC/DC RCA from a store in my home town for about $60. It actually picked up quite a few stations. I think I still have it probably in a storage room.
I really wanted that Panasonic tho. It also had an AM FM radio built in.
I wonder if kids still get the weekly reader, or when it died if they don't. Guess I'll have to check WIKI.
Did you read on SRAs?
It Happened at the World’s Fair, Elvis Presley...
SRA nostalgia bump....
My dad saw that!
He and some friends decided to spend some time at the Fair that year, so he had some time to get around. Too bad he didn’t keep any memorabilia. I love hoarding historic stuff.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.