Filmstrip: UNISPHERE Biggest World on Earth
"UNISPHERE Biggest World on Earth"
In 1963, United States Steel commissioned a film to be created documenting the design and construction of Unisphere for the Fair. Approximately 15 minutes in length, the actual film is, unfortunately, too long to be presented as a film here. However, the soundtrack transcript and stills from "Biggest World on Earth" provide an excellent documentary of the building of Unisphere.
1939: The New York World's Fair. 1904: The St. Louis Fair. 1899: The Paris International Exposition. From earliest times Markets and Fairs have been a gathering place where men came, not only to trade, but to exchange ideas. As civilization grew, as communications improved between nations, peoples of the world looked for new ways to display their industrial and cultural accomplishments.
With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, the Industrial Fair was born. London, 1851. Over this world of squatting stones and twisting streets arose a strange and unbelievable structure:The Crystal Palace. It was built for and became the symbol of the London Exposition of 1851. ThefirstWorld's Fair.
With each succeeding Fair, people came from greater distances.
Fair buildings introduced new materials and daring engineering and architectural concepts; time-keepers of progress.
In 1889 there arose over Paris the theme symbol of the Paris International Exposition, the Eiffel Tower ...
... designed by the greatest engineer of his time, Gustave Eiffel.Magician in Ironhe was called.
A masterpiece of structural engineering, it remained a celebrated landmark. A symbol of World's Fairs everywhere.
Then one day in March, 1963, notables of both France and the United States gathered at Flushing Meadows, New York, for the beginning of construction of UNISPHERE, theme symbol for a new World's Fair.
Robert Moses, President of the New York World's Fair:
"It had to be the sign ashore for all visitors, dominating Flushing Meadow, and built to remain a permanent feature of the Park, reminding succeeding generations of a pageant of surpassing interest and significance.
"What stronger, more durable and more appropriate metal in the record of American constructive accomplishments could be thought of than stainless steel? And what builder more imaginative and competent than the United States Steel Corporation."
In most uncooperative March weather, Rene' Lagrain Eiffel, grandson of the creator of the Eiffel Tower, signaled the start of construction of UNISPHERE.
The first member to go in place ...
... was one section of the USSCor-TenSteel pedestal.
