1939 New York World's Fair - HD Color! A Home Movie by Gustave Martens
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 มิ.ย. 2024
- 16mm Kodachrome Home Movie of the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. Photographed by Gustave Martens (1900-1977) of College Point, NY. Edited for TH-cam by me, Gustave's grandson Robert. Includes visual highlights from the live presentation "Railroads on Parade" combined with soundtrack excerpts from the score composed by Kurt Weill, and an extended sequence of the nighttime "Lagoon of Nations" fountain and fireworks display. Gus filmed on 16mm Kodachrome using a spring-powered hand-held home movie camera. The resolution of this video is superior to the version that I uploaded to TH-cam in 2008. Special thanks to Mr. Guy Walker who, only a few years ago, discovered the long-lost sound recordings of the "Railroads on Parade" pageant and graciously allowed me to use them in this video. The superb film-to-video transfer is by DuArt Media Services Inc. of New York City.
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This is a great example of what is best about TH-cam.
It's great stuff, but would have been nice if it showed inside of the exhibits, rather than just outside views of people walking around. A bit of context goes a long way.
@@iangodfrey4518 If only . . . But the Kodachrome film that Grandpa used at the time was designed for outdoor use in full daylight. Any interiors that he filmed, unless they were brilliantly illuminated, would have come looked dark and washed out. I remember the few times he filmed indoors he had to set up several large flood lamps that were very hot and uncomfortable to the eyes.
@@iangodfrey4518 I'm gonna choose to look at the glass as half full.
@@robertmartens9787 fair call that. still great film.
@@robertmartens9787 I agree about the flood lamps. When my dad used to film us indoors with his 8mm home movie camera, the flood lights he used would blind us. The film footage your grandpa captured is vivid and astonishing. The fact that it's in colour is also rare for the time and it's refreshing to see. I wonder what your grandpa would think, knowing that his archived film footage would be viewed by thousands of people, who appreciate it very much.
My friend was so inspired by the houses at this fair he went home and enrolled in college to be an architect. In 1959 he designed a house for his best friend, and i live in it now. Thank you for uploading this!
The colour makes a past world seem similar to our own, they were just like us but they're all gone, a sobering reminder of the brevity of life.
The kids may well be alive though, even some of the teenagers (being around 85-100).
@@herrbonk3635 True, although the transition from youth to old age in itself involves many deaths and rebirths.
they were like us but like more racist
@@goku9791 And the world was much more diverse, with each nation having its own culture. Today, most young people instead embrace the shallow consumer culture of the USA.
@@goku9791 Why bring race into it? This is not a political video, it's a window into the past, an opportunity for us to learn.
Fantastic!!!! Color movies of the 1939-40 World's Fair are extremely rare. This movie is far superior to any other WF movie - sharper, great color!! The night sequences are truly amazing!!!! Your Grandpa preserved this Fair in a way most people could not, he must have been one amazing hobbyist!!! Hats off to his foresight and to your putting it all together and sharing this priceless home movie!!
Yes Sir, this is truly Amazing!!
Like the wizard of oz that came out in 1939
My grandparents brought their newborn first child to the fair. That newborn was my dad. He just turned 81 yo a few days ago. This video was awesome. The visuals are so clear. Just beautiful.
How is your grandparents now are they good?
Wow seeing this in color is so different, makes you realize how similar life back then was to life nowdays, unlike the alienation that seeing black and white usually gives
Wilson
Agreed. I'm very familiar with films from this era, and this is amazing. The sky was blue in 1939!
It really does make a huge difference as far as making history "real", doesn't it? Same with the early 1900s autochrome photos from Albert Kahn's "Archive of the Planet"... those color photos look like they could have bene taken today.
So so true
So very true. The black and white does give it a different spooky feeling
How is life now similar to back then? Because things are still the same color,hardly,there was a rightly so optimistic view then,not so much now
So great to see Gus Martens and his wife laughing and smiling pure happiness!!
I wish there could still be another world's fair. I went to the one in 1964. It was a time when Americans were optimistic about the future of this country, this world. We are far from that today....
@@adavila78guess it's okay to shit on country people eh? So long as they're white.
Not everything was perfect in these days, and neither is everything today. But I think where Spartaeus has a point is that back then, in spite of society's shortcomings, there was much more hope to overcome them aswell as more appreciation for the concepts of civilization, reason and progress, all of which are nowadays almost heinously mocked and spat upon, and may I say both from the right (looking at you, maxismax100) aswell as some peculiar kind of "left" that didn't exist back then.
@maxismax100 Let me remind you that Trump's son in law is a Jewish zionist and his daughter is Jewish.....oooops....hard to hate Jews and love Trump. I'm a Trump supporter....and Jewish also.
World fairs still happen, except they're commonly called World Expos. The next one is in Dubai in 2020.
@@adavila78 Why are you so mad!!?? Can't stand the truth or the fact about how Minorities ruined everything for the whiteman!!..?? See how nice clean is in this video.. No minorities to destroy or ruin anything..
This is 80 years ago. Incredible
What is amazing is Gus was able to film at night! Kodachrome film stock only had a light sensitivity rating of ASA(ISO) 10 in those days. Plus, this film was notorious for it's lack of exposure latitude. A photographer had to nail the exposure or forget it. This was hard enough to do with still photography. But, Gus did it with a cine camera! That camera must have had an incredibly fast -- and expensive -- lens not to mention a big rock-solid tripod. Can you imagine schlepping a tripod around an amusement park these days? At any rate, whatever he did to capture these images he did amazingly well and we all benefit from his efforts. Many, many thanks, Gus.
It’s so cool to see a time where everyone dressed up.
It's true. The problem is not in that fashions have changed (change, after all, is the nature of fashion), but that the standards indeed have fallen. I live in New York, and most people here look like they don't care about how they dress whatsoever.
People still dress up, if you go to a club or whatnot they still do the thing is that fashion is just completely different than what it was now and then. Same reason why you dont see people walking around in victorian dresses and suits of armour these days.
It’s not that everyone dressed up, it’s that nobody dressed down. Not like now anyway, as this was long before ‘casual wear’. Which unfortunately as the years went on became far too casual, and pervasive.
Now of course, everyone is just a lazy slob, or looking like a prostitute, with formal wear reserved for only the most formal occasions.
@@loki6253 what dignity and self respect? People were ignorant back then. The world is a MUCH better and more caring and considerate place now than it has EVER been in all of history. We live in the greatest time of all.. Try to enjoy it while you're here.. You're blessed to be in THIS time.
You're only seeing selective footage of people walking around dressed up. MOST people were poor as dirt back then, but they won't show you that in a "glorification of the past" video. People dress WAY better now anyway. Back then you were either rich enough to own a suit or literally everyone else.
What sensational color! It's almost like visiting the Fair.
In 1939 my dad was 19 years old and just two years away from joining the navy to fight in WW2. This is a video of the calm before the storm that would change our world. My grandparents took my dad and the rest of the family to this worlds fair. I used to play with my grandparents worlds fair statue of the empire state building when I was a kid. Thanks for putting this video up ! 🙂
The future's not as bright as it used to be.
oh yea the future was soooo bright in 1939 tail end of depression and a war was coming that would claim the lives of millions and would be the most deadly in history.
Baxter Stockman oh please 🙄
More than half US citizens are commies.
@@dougrogan379 You have always been fucked because you're a moron.
the boss : the crusaders were the worst .
My aunt Betty worked for IBM as a demonstrator for their new electric typewriters.Thanks for sharing this footage. It is fantastic to see the fair in color!
The film is so crystal clear - It's like it was made yesterday. I love the way adults and kids dressed back then. I wonder if the 1939 World's Fair was the first sleekly designed modernistic one. I saw pictures of previous World's Fairs, and they were very fancy. Thanks for sharing such a wonderfully done video by your grand dad!
my father david connor worked at the Schaefer brewery pavilion, the longest bar in the world. Thanks for the movie.
Who cares about a bug...?
@@Bszewski You’re right, move on outta here creep
Joe, my mother danced at the Fair....she was only 9! I can’t wait to show her this video.
It's sad to know that most of the people in this video are dead may God bless there souls.
Thank you mr Martens for leaving us this wonderful film
Awesome! Kodachrome looks great and really lasts without fading. No wonder Simon & Garfunkel didn't want their Kodachrome taken away!
Growing up in the 70's and 80's I remember the Greatest Generation talking about things like the World Wars and World Fairs. One Gentleman who was like a grandfather to me, told of how he rode in the back of a truck from our small town in north central Iowa to Chicago to see the 1933 Worlds Fair. Quite the adventure for a 19 year old Iowa farm kid.
I, too, grew up in the '70s and '80s. My father and mother were of that generation, but city kids. Dad loved to talk about growing up back then (simple living, all those aunts, uncles, grandmother, and his family, living under one roof); mom I think attended this World's Fair. Dad's was also the Luckiest Generation, for many reasons - first, guys in his age group were drafted, trained for what essentially would have been "suicide" combat with the Japanese, and the war ended just before they were to be shipped to the Pacific. Then, after the war, life in the U.S. boomed forward, G.I. bill enabled him to be college educated and later buy a house, incomes increased, etc. - at least for a few decades. This wasn't the deal all Americans were dealt.
All I heard were stories of the depression.
My grandfather had a worlds fair spoon and I still have there pictures
My grandfather had a worlds fair spoon and I still have the pictures they took
My father used to talk about seeing TV for the first time as a teen when they went to the NY Worlds Fair.
This visual record of the fair is pure magic. Mr. Martens' excellently shot film is a historic treasure. AMAZING!!! He is to be highly commended and long remembered for his remarkable efforts and professional execution. Hats off to Gustave Martens and family.
Just Beautiful, in sharp color!
my mom was a 1 year old baby in 1939 and the World is a better place because she is here
I wish we could say the same about the boomer generation & each beyond that...
Robert, a sincere thanks for sharing your family and their memories with us. That sweet vintage scene of your grandparents in front of the hall was charming.
I wish I could go back to these times, if only for a moment, though, I wouldn’t want to miss my caramel Frappuccino, they didn’t have those back then. One thing is for sure, people here seem so much in love with life.
Superb transfer. I’ve never seen the 1939 worlds fair in such glorious color and quality. Thank you !!!!!
In 1984 PBS did a documentary on the 1939 Worlds Fair:
The World of Tomorrow (1984) Narrated by Jason Robards.
Almost all of the documentary was in color. To make the documentary, they put the word out to the public that they were looking for 16mm color home movies. These Gustave Marten home movies are of the quality that they ended up using for the final film. It is an excellent documentary.
I think I remember watching that documentary, I would have been in high school at the time and shows like that always interested me.
@@seththomas9105 Ok I found 45 minutes of that documentary online that you can watch for free. GOOGLE this, "World of Tomorrow 1984 archive org" THEN click on videos. It should be the first link
Wow, it looks so different from when I was kid living in Flushing. It looks like Epcot Center.
Thank you for posting, this brings back good memories.
Thanks for sharing. Good to view things through the eyes of what my granddad's generation was seeing right before the war.
My father was 10 and and there he is! Now he'll be 91 and! Yike!!
Jonathan Pike Coleman On ne voudrait jamais voir partir ses parents un jour. Alors chéri-le et profite de chaque instant avec lui.
My father was 4 hehe. He is 85 today. He has dimentia, but hes healthy otherwise:-)
Nothing short of spectacular. The presentations hold up even for today. Thanks to G.A. Martens for recording this great history.
Thank you for letting me see what my nother undoubtedly saw while on her class trip to the New York Workd's Fair of 1939. She graduated in 1940. This was where the senior class went, from Liberty High School, Bethlehem, PA.
Wow! Just, wow!
I'm sitting just a few blocks where all this was, and getting to see it in such glorious color Is mind blowing.
About a year ago I received in the mail a disc of old family color videos shot my my great uncle from the 30s to the 70s, the disc was sent to me by his daughter. I feel absolutely blessed and was brought to tears after seeing videos of my grandparents in their 20s with my father and his sister as young children. Among all the family videos was videos of my great grandmother whom I remember as a child.
Ah, thank you TH-cam recommended. This is a gem.
Dear Mr Martens THANK YOU 🙏 for posting this. It was really well put together and actually made me feel like I was at the 1939 fair. My parents were at that fair and took me to the 1964 fair which remain some of my happiest moments.
This is REALLY something. My mom & her folks went, from Phila by train, she's 90 now, still recalls it. Great film here. I went to the '64-'65 Fair as a little kid, that was pretty impressive too. Still wish I could "time-travel" to this one, and its era.
The year my grandparents got married . Clearing there estate in 2010 I found Chicago world fair spoons and trinkets . Folks this was the depression and very soon America would be in a war that 416.800 service men would not be coming home . These were tough people .
This looks so much like Disney's EPCOT in Florida. Old Walt took his queues from this. He must have been so impressed by this.
Thank you for the Vídeo Robert Martens! In color! Amazing! I loved it! Congratulations! Since Brazil, Mar, 03,2020.
In our family archives is a handful of black & white snapshots from the 1939 World's Fair when my parents, then newlyweds, visited it from Colorado. They bought a little souvenir, a metal sculpture of the "Trylon & Perisphere," which still sits on my shelf of treasured heirlooms.
I absolutely love these old films especially the ones in color. It's fascinating to see the day-to-day life or mundane things such as how people dress in eras such as these. It's also fascinating, the whole concept of the world's fair. I wish we still had them it looks like quite the spectacle
Even though we were on the verge of war, everything seemed so much more hopeful then. Thank goodness I was born in the 60's and could enjoy some better times. Now, there isn't much to look forward to.
This is unreal! How fortunate to be able to have such a treasure from your Grandfather.
That's so cool to be able to watch. Thanks for sharing.
This was amazing to see, and it looks so current in color. My mom went to this World's Fair, and she spoke of it often with great happiness. Look at how terrific people dressed, unlike today, its a shame, now people go out in their pajamas. I was lucky to have gone to the 1965 World's Fair and that is one memory that seems like yesterday. The Unisphere still stands today in Flusing Meadows Park, where the Fair of 1964-65 once was held. I remember the futuristic pavilions ,were so amazing. GE, The Borden Pavilion with a ride you took to see how the products were made.
Somewhere in those crowds My Mom with her class mates from the Bronx and My Pop and his class mates from Brooklyn went to the 1939 Worlds Fair. My Sister and Brothers went to the 1964-65 Worlds Fair. I’ll always have Coney Island lol
whow, thanx for the goosebumping timetravel in "living colours".
Wonderful! Fantastic! Thank you ! Enjoying all the vintage sights! 😃👏🏻🇺🇸
I wish that was my life was walking around New York City 1940 in my 20s in suit
My dad's life...
Then on to being a B-17G pilot AC
Hello from Canada. RESPECT RESPECT RESPECT to your family and you for saving and sharing the past with such care, and flare! Well done, Sir.
This is beautifully shot, and a sobering reminder of how many corporations who made this fair possible are no longer with us.
This is fantastic! My Dad went to the '39 World's Fair. If he was with us today, he'd be thrilled to view this. Thank you!
Fantastic historical documentary from almost 80 years ago! Thanks for posting
That was spectacular! Thanks so much for sharing!
Wow that's so impressive. Thank you so much for sharing this incredible masterpiece with us!
This is just wonderful! Thanks for showing us real history.
This has GOT to be the COOLEST Home Movie captured!!..Weird to view these New Yorkers knowing ALL are deceased.....One hell of a job done here..... WOW!!
Lots of kids from the 20's and 30's who attended the fair are alive.....
My father (1931-1988) attended the New York fair. As a kid in the 1970s, I remember him telling me about the giant cash register, the parachute jump, and how he saw television for the first time. I think he mentioned that attendants were televised/broadcast on a screen while walking around/entering the perisphere/trylon area and at one point one could see themselves on a screen. I have his first day issued stamp & envelope that was sent to him. I was so fascinated with World Fairs at that time (live in Midwest, so all the history that goes along with the 1904 St. Louis fair, etc---eventually seeing 75th & 100th anniversary celebrations) that family took me to the 1982 and 1984 fairs. Thank you for sharing and very much liked those neo-baroque/ "of-the-period" title cards. Cool touch!
Removed the parachute jump over to Coney island..
This is a film we should show little children to give them hope and reassuring comfort about the future instead of listening to fools who don't know.Wonderful film full of hope and light....God Bless
You idiot. The worst war in history was just months away when this was made. Learn some history.
I'm referring to the subject of the film,not the war you angry little man,I had no idea I was so ignorant until you pointed it out...You Dick haha
OUTSTANDING!! These films could have been shot yesterday! I LOVED "Railroads on Parade"!!
This is a very nice historical video. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Robert, another wonderful movie from your Grandfather, many thanks. Also a wonderful choice of music...... Regards, Kevin.
Thank you.
This is so amazing your grandpa is a legend for preserving these beautiful shots
Robert, this is truly amazing. Thank you for sharing.
How awesome! I haven;t seen film of the 64/65 fair that looks this good! Nicely done. Thanks for sharing.
Kodachrome was really something, wasn't it... especially in the hands of someone who knew what to do with it.
Beautiful. I love the soundtrack, optmistic and vibrant as this fair was. Thanks.
That's a really fine piece of work, restoring that and offering it here. I live in Flushing and I'm looking at the site down in Corona right now from my window as the sun comes up in 2021!
Knew an old guy who literally lived across the road from that World's Fair. I think he went in every day or as much as he could without getting into trouble with his parents. Those were some of his best memories. He passed on a few years ago.
I have to admit, I didn't know photography was so advanced in 1939. The is film footage just blew me away. Thanks for sharing it. Funny how well dressed everyone was compared to how attendees would have looked today.... :)
Look how well Warren Martens is dressed with a wide-lapel double breasted suit, V-neck sweater, both probably a wool blend, and a button down shirt with a long straight collar. This was the era of among the very best of fashion.
People used to care about how they looked.
Now they wear their Megadeath t-shirt and knee-length cut-offs to church.
Film is film and is always superior to video, even 4k. They can take film, scale it to 4k and it can look like it was made yesterday.
Mr. Martens could have given Mr. Zapruder some instruction on how to take home movies.
Speaking of Abraham Lincoln:
1939 - 1865 = 74 years after his death.
2020 - 1939 = 81 years since this film was made.
In other words, more time has passed since this film was made compared to how long the film was made after Lincoln's death. Think about that.
Fun with numbers
Indeed. The 74 years after 1865 saw incredible technological progress. From steam locomotives to... much bigger steam locomotives! ;)
OK, from horses and carriages to motor cars, and from hot air balloons to DC-2 airliners as well...
@@timonsolus And to radio and television.
@@timonsolus this was '39-40. I think the DC-3 was already a thing, and passenger trains were already getting dieselized as you can see from the Seaboard locomotive in the video.
That came to my mind also!
When my parents took us to the 1964 World's Fair they told us about how our grandparents took them to the 1939 World's Fair which happened at the same place : Flushing Meadow Park
Dear Robert I would like to thank you for sharing this video. I enjoyed it so much. There was quite a bit of technology going on by then, I hadn't realized that. the video was like a breath of fresh air giving a renewal a refreshing change I was pleasantly surprised and amazed at the degree of sophistication involved in all the water attractions at the 1939 New York World's Fair.I'm a retired NYCBOE teacher from Throgg's Neck. Thanks again It was great to experience The 1939 New York World's fair through your empowering film.
You're welcome.
Your Grandfather was an extremely talented man ! I have watched his other movies you posted in the past and they are quite enjoyable and entertaining. I noticed that his panning was so precise vs others' panning techniques will make you sea sick. The overall condition of these films are so flawless for their age. My parents 8mm home movies are from the 50's taken in East New York , Brooklyn and Long Island, and they are so sadly scratched and either over or under exposed. I could have learned a lot from your Grandfather, Thank you for posting
The world was quite modern when corporations created fascism to extinguish democracies around the world...and at home.
I am from those areas so if you ever consider posting those videos no matter the quality, I'd love to see it!
This is wonderful! A fantastic glimpse at a by gone time --the World's Fair no less! Thanks for sharing!
God bless Mr. Martens for making such a treasure for all of us to enjoy so many years later.
Thank you for sharing this footage. I saw your footage of the 64 & 65 fair also. I was 10 in 65 when I went with my family. My parents were at the 39 fair also. Your grandfather really knew how to handle a movie camera. Wow! Glad to see that your grandparents got to be in the footage as well. We owe a lot to those who documented these historical events on film. Also a great job by you putting it together for TH-cam.
Another interesting thing is, how much the railroads were represented at the 39/40 fair, and non existent by the 64/65 fair just 25 years later.
Really impressed by the color and resolution. And the editing.
This is like a time machine and what a great film, it looks a lot better than 70's, 80's and 90's films I've seen!
My great grandparents from Hawaii went to this fair. Amazing to see it in Color. The Trains on Parade had me entertained as much as anything today. Mahalo for the upload.
I went to the '64 fair as a kid.
Some bits of the '39 fair were there. ( a statue or two).
I was surprised to find the the Queens Botanical Garden was originally part of the '39 fair.
It's more of a park than a botanical garden, but very nice.
In this video, notice how people dressed back then, not at all like today.
Thanks for this film.
I was just going to ask someone about present day landmarks from the 39 faire and you know just showed up and answered for me
OMG! this is absolutely incredible! I have seen some of this footage before but the way it is presented here, with much better quality as well synchronized music and sound really brings it back to life. My jaw dropped at the beginning of the fountain sequence and stayed that way through the end of the video, lol!. Awesome, thank you.
The world was quite modern when corporations created fascism to extinguish democracies around the world...and at home.
With color that true and clear after all these many years, that HAD to have been shot on Kodachrome film, the only commercial film ever produced that used special dyes that were highly fade resistant. Too bad its not around any more! Fantastic presentation, very well done. Mr. Martens obviously spared no expense on a 16mm movie camera. Modern phone video pales in comparison.
Thank you for creating this wonderful video from your familie's home movie footage and sharing it with the world. I thouroghly enjoyed it!
I would love to take my galaxy s10 plus back then...LOL!!!
I love how everyone is so properly dressed. Great videos from a great era. Thanks
That's the only thinkg I didn't like in this video, the boring monotony and homogeneity must've been soul destroying. Love the diversity today.
@@Kprywatne is that sarcasm?
@@topsyandpip56 no
People dressed their sunday best for this kind of occasion back then. Just as they did for flying in the 1960s. I'm sure Mr Martens would have swirled his camera away from anyone who didn't look nice, just like we now do for our insta pics. ;)
Beautiful overview of the fair. Wish I could have visited it.
Such a treat seeing this in color. Thank you for sharing your family’s experience.
Wow! 16mm Kodachrome… Must have cost quite a bit! Very nice footage!
Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for sharing this priceless family treasure with the rest of us.
" The Future Ain't What it Used to Be " Yogi Berra
So great! I forgot while watching it that this was 1939 - not say, the 1967 Worlds Fair. I love that we have it here, thank you.
Oooh! I just love vintage home movies. My mom attended this as a girl and very much impressed her.
People are thinking of the early 1900s as being a long time ago, while time is relative, it really, wasn't, THAT long ago....
Going by all time, it wasn't. But to a basic human who lives about seventy years give or take, the early 1900's were indeed a long time ago.
True. I've fossils around me that are 70 to 90 million years old where I live.
Feels like yesterday for me...indeed time it was
What a delightful addition to your family's legacy! I've previously enjoyed the footage you have posted, but this is truly spectacular in footage and quality. You have good reason to be very proud of your dapper (and forward thinking) kinfolk :)
This was before my time and before I was born, but I somehow long for a time like this--- it felt so much more positive and filled with potential. My Grandma (who I thank God is still alive today and may she live many many many more years), was born the year this took place in 1939. I will forever associate this wonderful event and year with my Grandma's birthday. Can anyone provide the name of the intro music and soundtrack to this? It's wonderful!
Robert, thank you for sharing this. I have 13 original postcards from my father's estate from the 1939 New York World's Fair. Also have a set for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. I appreciate the footage to see what it was like in person. In color yet!