Arlington Hat Company

 By Bruce Shawkey

One of the more obscure exhibitors at the Fair was the Arlington Hat Company. Here is their writeup from the Official Souvenir Book:

ARLINGTON HAT COMPANY

Hats of all kinds—the largest, smallest, funniest, oldest and the most unusual hats gathered by Junior Chambers of Commerce and other organizations in contests across the country—are displayed in a museum sponsored by the Fair's official hatter, the Arlington Hat Company. Eight similar Arlington "Hat-a-rama" concessions located throughout the grounds sell a variety of souvenir hats priced from $1.00 to $5.00. They also carry the official World's Fair balloons. * Admission: free. * Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Hats are still big business, certainly in New York City, where hat stores are still very much in business. I bought one myself (a white fedora) when I worked in New York City during the summer of '84.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Food at the Fair

 By Bruce Shawkey The range of edibles at the Fair was extensive, with nearly all ethnic cuisines represented. Here is a partial list of foods fair-goers could eat. The big hit for many people at the fair was the Belgian waffles, served at the Belgium Pavilion. Many people raved about them, piled high with strawberries and whipped cream. 99 cent dishes at the Chun King Inn: egg foo young, fried rice, shrimp egg roll, chicken or shrimp chowmein, beverage of your choice. HAWAII: Daily buffet luncheons, 12-course luaus, fruits and nuts at the Sandwich Island Bar, all at the Aloha Theme Pavilion. AFRICA PAVILION: Stewed chicken with peanuts. BELGIUM: beef, crepes, lobster with cream, waffles, as mentioned above. DENMARK: Seafoods and open-face sandwiches. FESTIVAL OF GAS: America's contributions to gourmet cooking: Stuffed Amish ham, Indian grilled salmon, pumpkin pie. FRANCE: buffet and wines, French beer. GREECE: stuffed grape leaves, Greek lamb dishes. INDIA: Charcoal roasted chicke...
Read more

Automobiles at the Fair

Image
 By Bruce Shawkey Automobiles garnered a great amount of attention at the '64-'65 World's fair. Here's an ad for the exhibit by Ford. The ride  takes fairgoers through a "magic skyway" that surely was the inspiration for Disney's "Spaceship Earth" at Epcot.  No fewer than nine carmakers were represented at the Fair, including Ford, Buick, American Motors, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Mercury, Lincoln, Oldsmobile, and Datsun (which eventually became Nissan). Honda was also at the Fair, but with motor scooters instead of cars. Here is their ad: What? No helmets? Imported cars were just starting to gain traction in America at the time. The "Big 3" automakers owned the lion's share of the car market, with American Motors coming in at number four. Volkswagen didn't even come to the fair, though their "Beetle" was already gaining popularity.
Read more

introduction

Image
 By Bruce Shawkey I have long been fascinated by '64-'65 World's Fair. My brother, Curt, and his friend, Bert Hart, went to the Fair in Curt's car and made a giant road trip out of it. His wife, Karen, also attended the fair and drive with her friend, Alice, in Karen's Volkswagen Beetle (she and Curt hadn't even met yet). It was really the last Worlds Fair in my mind. Yes, there was '82 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tenn., but it paled in comparison to its predecessor. And no attempts have been made since (at least in my mind) since technology is advancing as such a rapid pace that a fair could not be built fast enough to keep up. But back to the '64-'65 Fair.  It was such a spectacle of contrasts, a world of wonders and possibilities set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement. I was only eight when the Fair took place, so I was too young to attend and appreciate its splendor and significance. But recently, I was able to v...
Read more