Publications from the 1939 and 1940 New York World's Fair

World's Fairs Collection, 1-18, Hofstra University Library Special Collections

World's Fairs Collection, 1-20, Hofstra University Library Special Collections

World's Fairs Collection, 2-8, Hofstra University Library Special Collections

World's Fairs Collection, 5-3, Hofstra University Library Special Collections

World's Fairs Collection, 5-7, Hofstra University Library Special Collections

World's Fairs Collection, 5-10, Hofstra University Library Special Collection

Meyer Collection, Hofstra University Library Special Collections

A unique combination of planes, ships, and cars all represent the importance of speed in the modern world in Chester Beach's "Riders of the Elements," seen in the large picture above. The iconic sculpture was located in the Court of Ships in the Transportation Zone. This was an obvious choice of subject for the Greyhound Company, who distributed The Highway Traveler. According to the New York Public Library Archives, the statue was originally listed as "Carriers of Speed," but had its name changed later.

Top left is a publication titled New York World's Fair 1939 "The Fairs of the Past and the Fair of Tomorrow." It was a scholarly publication completed by Professor Frank Monaghan of the Department of History at Yale University. It details the history of fairs over time and analyzes the changing perceptions and functions of such events.

Top right is a copy of the Quarterly Review, dated April 1939, distributed by The New York City Cancer Committee. It contains an interesting article by Isaac F. Marcosson, who details the New York City Cancer Committee's dedication of their exhibit at the fair to the famed Madame Curie.

Middle left is the Gateway to New York's World’s Fair, dated April 30th, 1939, distributed by the New York Herald Tribune.

Middle right is the New York World's Fair Bulletin, which was published a year before the fair's opening as a preview of the event.

Bottom left is an issue of the French magazine L'illustration, which was dedicated to the New York World's Fair.

Bottom right depicts the magazine THINK, published in 1940, as a survey of new thoughts in world affairs, with the fair as its centerpiece. Some famous contributors are Fiorello H. La Guardia, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and C.W. Kellogg.