Hannah Retamero
Writing Assignment #1 – Visual Analysis.
The World of Your Dreams
The source: Program #2 of 1940 New York World's fair caught my eye. If we
situate ourselves in spring 1940, we can understand some of the attractions and
audience for the world's fair. When there was a lot of tension and conflict due to World
War II, it was possible to find some amusement that made the people forget about their
reality or transport them into a different time-space, into a dreamland.
On the first page of the program, we can appreciate a colorful illustration about a
city and some people that appear as a family watching the town from a cloud in the sky.
We can see the red ad for "World's Fair 1940" and the location, in New York, and the
admission cost (general and children). The family shows some similarities to an
American family's desired prototype; everybody is happy, well dressed, and impressed
with the city beneath them, with no worry or sadness in their faces, only happiness.
Small dots can be related to how people gather towards the central attraction. A
question popped in my head about why the family appears at the top of a cloud?. To
answer this question, it Is essential to describe the city they observe in which the main
architectonic structures are the center of attention. We can differentiate a very tall and
white pyramidal structure, resembling an obelisk next to a massive and white spherical
structure lacking windows or any apparent doors. The arrangements were enigmatic
and mysterious; sometimes, they seemed taken from another planet or a futuristic time
for their modern and unique design.
Usually, dreaming can be associated with "having your head in the clouds," And
that can be what the artistic team of the fair's program had in mind with the illustration. A
dream is a safe place, somewhere you can use your imagination and sometimes see
what you have never seen before; what a better way to complement that with the world
of the future? The world of your dreams is The world's fair.
The other piece that complements the first page in the fair's program gave me
some information about the purpose and target audience on the 6 th page. As colorful as
the first one, the illustration shows many people walking through an arrow path in the
sky towards the New York World's Fair and its iconic structures. People seem to walk
eagerly in mass to this city never seen before, the city of their dreams, just like in the
first illustration, and it portrays it as the desired vacation destination.
The page speaks about "Double Dividends" and invites people from all over the
world to do both, to visit the World's Fair and also the famous city of New York, like
killing two birds with a single stone. The City of New York had many exciting locations,
activities on its own, and historical places that you cannot miss if you're taking a trip to
this world known and important city. The main incentive appears to be "Fun"; the word
is repeated continuously throughout the text and invites the audience to the numerous
exhibits, parades, shows, concerts, and fun activities in which you'll always be
surrounded. People attending the world fair together with the city of New York will never
have a "dull moment," the advertising team knew how to sell the perfect vacations.
The text on the program's page Also tries to invite the audience into a rich all-
American experience and panorama. In my opinion, for the fair to be successful, they
will have to include many of the things that make the American people proud, and that
way, we will find the very best of the country in one place. The opportunity to explore a
little bit of different foreign cultures is also in the program. What better way to travel the
world? No wars, no killing, no starvation, all in one day or less, one minute being in new
York city and the other in Venezuela or Paris (only what it was worth showing).
The phrase that impressed me the most is at the bottom of the 6 th page, and it
says: "This summer you can go 'abroad at home’-safely, comfortably-along peaceways
that emphasize brotherhood, not bombs." This statement was directed to the American
people, to those who were feeling overwhelmed and fearful about the war, to those who
wanted an escape from the difficulties of life. The perfect world, the world of tomorrow,
was at the reach of anyone, and you only had to buy a ticket.
Resources
New York World's Fair; Program. 1939-40. TS Larry Zim World's Fair Collection.
National Museum of American History Archives Center. Smithsonian Collections Online,
[Link] Accessed 21 June 2019. Gale Document
Number: GALE|CFXOOE086823158.