General Motors was a pioneer exhibitor back in the mid-century often with the technical assistance of Walt Disney's Imagineers. Futarama was a ride at the New York World's Fair in 1939 and was updated for the 1964 fair which offered its riders a glimpse into what life in the year 2024 would be like. This promotional film by General Motors follows a young boy as he explores a lunar base of operation, an Antarctic weather forecasting center, undersea exploration and the typical positive 1960s thinking about the future of American design and living. The ride itself was one of the most popular attractions at the fair with over 25 million passengers during the 6 months it was open and the building which housed it was one of the largest buildings ever built for a World's Fair. You can ride Futarama too, complete with astonishing music after the jump.
Continue reading »
Don't know who i am referring to? Well you might know her better under her nickname "Twiggy" (from twig – tree). Twiggy was born September 19, 1949 in Neasden, London. She became famous in the swingin' 60s as a model icon and revolutionized the fashion world with her slim and boyish figure, short hair and big eyes that set trends all over the world. From then on every girl and young woman wanted to look like Twiggy. Now for her 60th birthday, the National Portrait Gallery in London is showing a exhibition in her name and launching a new photographic biography book of her life. The event Twiggy: A Life in Photographs will be on display from September 19th, 2009 until March 21st, 2010. You could also easily run in to her at the book -signing event today Friday 18th September between 1pm and 2pm. Happy Birthday Twiggy!
The Stahl house, designed by architect Pierre Koening in 1960 will be open to visitors for a limited time. The house was built part of the Case Study House experiments for residential housing sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine, which hired major architects including Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig and Eero Saarinen, to design and build inexpensive model homes for the housing boom caused by the end of World War II. There were in total over 30 houses built and no. 22 is without a doubt the most stylish and famous one. Located on a hill in West Hollywood, overlooking downtown LA it features large windows, a pool and design to die for. For anyone who is in or near Los Angeles, don't miss out on this opportunity to travel back in time to a iconic architectural landmark. For information about the tours and prices, follow the link below.
Continue reading »
I wish there were more expositions like the one held in Seattle in 1962. Going under the name Century 21, it showcased the best, brightest and most future minded technology available at the time - including pagers, exciting cars that looked like they could fly, various satellites and the NASA Mercury project to name a few. The grounds of the fair were divided into different areas for easier navigation with names such as World of Science, World of Century 21, Show Street, Gayway, Boulevards of the World, Food and Favors and so on. I love how the photos below bring out the innocence and positive future thinking from that time, something that the world needs more of today I think. Additional Century 21 goodness after the jump.
Continue reading »
For those of you who missed the first show, the next Swank Pack Show is due on July 2 at the Pasadena Jazz Institute in California. Tickets start at $20 if you book in advance. For more information and bookings, visit pasjazz.org.
Straight from their smash opening on June 4, Douglas Roegiers and Dave Cox are back to dazzle and enchant with their classic brand of musical and magical entertainment, this time with special guest, LA’s jazz diva deluxe, Suzy Williams. Taking their cues from the swinging big bands and the crooning Rat Pack, Roegiers and his band perform numbers taken right out of the Great American Songbook in a manner of which Sinatra himself would be proud. Likewise, Cox delights audiences with his unique style of comedy and magic. In short, the Swank Pack delivers an old school, Las Vegas-style variety show, the likes of which one would be hard-pressed to find even in Las Vegas nowadays.
For those of you who always wish you were born early enough into the 20th Century so that you are able to experience the thrill, excitement and glamour of the 1950s and 1960s classic Rat Pack shows with Frank, Dean, Sammy and all the other boys, here's your chance. Picking up where they left off in the 60s, Douglas Roegiers, Dave Cox and a variety of performers transform the Pasadena Jazz Institute (in Pasadena, California) into a swingin’ lounge on the first Thursday of every month. Far from a show full of impersonators, these guys (and dames) pay homage to the great American crooners by bringing their own brand of style and entertainment to the stage monthly. The first show kicks off at 8:30 p.m. on June 4th, don't miss it baby!
Sorry for the absence, been keeping my self busy with different things. Nevertheless, today we are returning to the World's fair held in Seattle in 1962. Going under the title Century 21, this is one of my favorite expositions next to the one that was held in New York two years later. Here are a couple of photos from it to better illustrate my point.
Continue reading »
I have two favorite World's Fair expositions. The first one being the 1962 held in Seattle, also known as Century 21, the second one is the fair that was held in Queens, New York in 1964. It was the largest World's Fair ever hosted, and the theme for it was "Peace Through Understanding". This was represented through a huge model of the Earth called the Unisphere which still stands there today. Like the fair in Seattle in 1962, this fair was mostly remembered for its mid-century American corporate culture, bright plans for the future and space age design. It was also the place where Walt Disney created and tested his system for audio-animatronics which was used for several rides on the fair, i.e. Ford's Magic Skyway and General Electric's Carousel of progress.
Continue reading »
