1939-1940 New York Worlds Fair Souvenir 100 Movie Views and Pathegrams: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Box for a set of souvenir film strips, and handheld photo viewing device, from the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair. The box features images of the Fair's dominant architectural features, the Trylon and the Perisphere.

The set advertises over 100 movie views and Pathegrams. "Pathegrams" were the home movie division of Pathe, the pioneering newsreel company. A smaller set of 75 images could also be bought at the Fair.

During its run, the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair attracted nearly 45 million people to its site in Flushing Meadows. At the Fair, visitors were introduced to advancements in such technologies as television, color photography, synthetic materials and robotics, as well as a wide variety of consumer goods and entertainments.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 1939
• Associated Date: 1940
• Associated Date: 1939
• Object Name: Container (Box)
• Object Name: box
• Physical Description: cardboard (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 7 1/2 in x 5 in x 1 1/2 in; 19.05 cm x 12.7 cm x 3.81 cm
• place made: United States: New York, Queens
• Associated Place: United States: New York, New York City
• Associated Place: United States: New York, Queens
• Subject: Expositions and Fairs
• related event: New York World's Fair (1939)
• ID Number: 1989.0438.1743.01
• catalog number: 1989.0438.1743.01
• accession number: 1989.0438
• catalog number: NY1939PE04.01
• Credit Line: The Larry Zim World's Fair Collection
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.