I lived in and around New York City during my childhood. My parents grew up there too, and I spent the years before I left learning about and appreciating the sites that surrounded me. But one of the most memorable events in my childhood happened when I was just in kindergarten.
New York City hosted the World's Fair in 1964 and 1965. The local news covered every aspect of the grand opening, and our neighborhood buzzed with excitement, but the weather wasn't cooperating. But I remember walking home on that drizzly noon hour, saying to myself, "What a day to open the World's Fair...what a day to open the World's Fair...what a day to open the World's Fair..."
Imagine my surprise when I stepped inside and found that my dad was home from work. He was a big fan of popular culture, and having this event take place just a few miles from our home got him more excited than I had ever seen. Dad greeted me with, "Guess what? We are going to the World's Fair today!" We donned our raincoats and headed from Brooklyn to Flushing, Queens.
The World's Fair was an overwhelming (to me, at least) combination of international attractions and impressive corporate displays. But the centerpiece of the Fair was a globe-the biggest globe I had ever seen. The Unisphere was built by U.S. Steel. It was dedicated to the effort for peace through understanding.
We approached this massive structure walking down a wide, tree-lined promenade. The 12-story globe appeared to be levitated by the circle of fountains surrounding its base. It stood on the 23.5 angle that is traditional for the familiar tabletop globe. Three slim metal rings surrounded the Unisphere, and my dad explained to me that each ring represented something different-the orbit of the first man in space, the first American in space, and the first communications satellite.
Throughout the two-year run of the World's Fair, my dad visited many times, often on his own. He was a fine amateur photographer, and he took dozens of rolls of film of the Fair. But he always focused on this landmark. Dad had photos of the Unisphere from down the promenade, looking up from its base, nearly void of visitors in the early morning when the Fair first opened for the day, crowded with summertime hoards encircling the monumental globe, and at night, with the capitals of its countries lit up and spotlights on the fountains. Each time Dad took us along, he lined up the four of us (always in age order) and snapped our picture. When Dad pulled out the slide projector, we always knew we'd catch ourselves standing outside what had to be the world's biggest globe.
The World's Fair ended, but the Unisphere has not been forgotten. In the mid-90s, the City of New York restored the Unisphere, and completed a structural restoration and did a complete cleaning of the centerpiece of Flushing Meadow Park. The fountains, which were long shut off, were replaced. The old globe now stands just as it did in my childhood.
The Unisphere remains in the population's minds and hearts. It's a popular location for promotional photo shoots, has appeared regularly in TV shows shot in New York City, and starred in a major motion picture or two. Didn't aliens try to take over the planet at the Unisphere? No, that's not gonna happen...
The Unisphere has become the official landmark of the borough of Queens, New York. It seems appropriate that this massive globe stands in the borough where people from more countries than anywhere else in the world have chosen to make their home.
Author Jennifer Akre, owner of many sites dedicated to indoor and outdoor home decor product and information, provides online consumers with advice on purchasing gorgeous and stunning copper weathervanes. Learn how to furnish your space in style and comfort with world globes for your home. Click today and indulge your senses.
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