And, music in our collections played a starring role it all.
In 1938, William Grant Still (1895-1978) – the Mississippi-born composer, student of George Whitefield Chadwick and Edgar Varèse, blues mentee of W.C. Handy, and first African-American to conduct a major symphony orchestra (the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1936) – was commissioned by the New York World’s Fair, Inc. to compose the official theme. Although publicly touted as a color-blind competition, original records in the New York Public Library’s official records of the 1939 New York World’s Fair and scholarship produced from them disprove this gentle version of the story. Those sources reveal the truth only primary sources can tell, that Still’s initial selection did encounter racist push-back during the process.
Still’s composition Rising Tide (sometimes referred to as Victory Tide), with lyrics by Albert Stillman, played on a constant loop inside the Perisphere for the multi-media exhibit Democracity (or The City of Tomorrow), a vision of urban life in the future with projected images, narration, and music.
Designed by Wallace K. Harrison and J. André Foulihoux, the Perisphere was the largest globe ever built – 180 feet in diameter, 18 stories in height, twice the size of Radio City Music Hall. Each hour, more than 8,000 spectators entered through the Trylon, a triangular obelisk 610 feet high and ascended to Democracity on the world’s two largest escalators. Six minutes later, they exited down the Helicline, a curving ramp from which they would glimpse their first overview of the Fair.[1]
The Music Division holds a piano-vocal holograph score of Rising Tide by William Grant Still because it was submitted for copyright registration by his publisher J. Fischer and Bro. in 1939. (It is one of many holograph scores by Still in our collections, including From the Black Belt, Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American Symphony,” the opera Troubled Island, and Reverie for organ.) “On a description by Henry Dreyfuss, designer of the Theme Center [Perisphere’s Democracity], and by Kay Swift, Still set out to compose this music with stopwatch, much as he would have composed film music,”[2] like his film scores for Columbia Pictures in Hollywood.
Who conducted the recording of Still’s expanded orchestration for SATB and orchestra that played on a continuous 6-minute loop? None other than the great maestro Andre Kostelanetz. He recounts in his memoirs that he had to use two click-tracks to time everything perfectly. The Andre Kostelanetz collection contains his heavily annotated score with the narrative text held in place with long pushpins, as well as correspondence and working documents related to the New York World’s Fair project.
In addition to primary music sources related to the music of the 1939 New York World’s Fair, the Music Division has a trove of published sheet music full of images of the iconic Trylon and Perisphere. One was officially licensed by the corporate New York World’s Fair, Inc. – Verna Love’s “Hello There! New York World’s Fair” – and one was incorrectly touted as the official theme to pacify racist feelings toward William Grant Still, George and Ira Gershwin’s “Dawn of a New Day.” Most songs and sheet music covers were topical with good-old-fashioned visual marketing using a major current event to sell songs.
The New York World’s Fair repeated for a second season, April to October 27, 1940 because it wasn’t nearly as big of a financial success as the corporation had hoped. But, that means even more great music got composed and performed, like Ferde Grofé’s orchestration for Paul Whiteman of Trylon and Perisphere, here in the Music Division in the Ferde Grofé collection.
On a personal note, 1939 is right in my wheelhouse of Art Deco design. I’ve collected a first day cover and commemorative postage stamps from the 1939 New York World’s Fair – just like another musician stamp collector, violinist Jascha Heifetz, whose papers we hold in the Music Division and whose musical stamp albums are at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
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Vera Love and Lou Levan. “Hello There! New York World’s Fair,” sheet music cover. 1939. Call number M1677.2.N4L1939. |
George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. “Dawn of a New Day,” sheet music cover. 1939. Call number M1677.2.N4G1939. |
[1] Barbara Cohen, Steven Heller, and Seymour Chwast, Trylon and Perisphere: The 1939 New York World’s Fair (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers, 1989), introduction.
[2] Verna Arvey, “William Grant Still” in William Grant Still: A Study in Contradictions (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000), 334.
Comments (18)
My dad was in his first year at Columbia in New York, so his summer job was driving the pedal carts around the 1939 World’s Fair. Among his passengers…Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney! Might’ve been a publicity event, but it was a lasting, sweet memory for a kid from Elizabeth, NJ.
My father, Tommy Martin, wrote a piece of music for this fair which was published and recorded. Although pretty obscure, I’d love to find a copy of the sheet music. The song was called “The Gates of Old New York Swing Open to the Fair”. I have a copy of the recording and my family did have a copy of the music but it disappeared years ago. Has anyone ever heard of it or seen a copy?
My mother, Mildred Goodman, recorded a song at the 1939 World’s Fair and she told me it was played over the loud speakers throughout the fair. I don’t know the name of the song she sang, but she told me a record of it was made. From time to time I look online to see if her name pops up somewhere on the Fair’s various web sites. I’ve also thought of doing research at the New York Public Library. Is there anyone out there who might be able to help me? Thanks so much!
My mother was in a trumpet trio that won first place. I was wondering if you had any information about this. Her name was Isabelle Warner
Thanks for reading! Send your question and any information you have to the Music Division’s Ask a Librarian reference service, and we’ll see what we can do!
My uncle Roy Horton played with Red River Dave at the 39′ worlds fair.
Hi Beth Benson
Most Everything from the World’s Fair office is in the main building of the New York public library, about 2400 boxes. I am going in for something else early next year, and will look for the sheet music and a recording of the song for you. If you are in New York, you can do the same if you arrange for a research appointment — tell them you are family of the creator and they will likely be interested to help 🙂
My grandfather Val Perry had a band that played at the 1939 World’s Fair. I believe his band was called: “Anella Country Band.” He was a drummer from Quincy, MA. Would you have any information on him or his band? I never got to meet him as he died the year before I was born. My 84-year-old aunt in Quincy, MA. talks about him all the time. (Val Perry was her dad). I haven’t been able to find any information on him. Would you please send any info you may have on him. I would be eternally grateful and would like to share this with my aunt. Thank you very much.
Stay safe and warm,
Mike Austin
Whitman, MA. 02382
Hi Michael,
Thanks for reading! I encourage you to send your question to the Music Division’s reference staff at https://ask.loc.gov/performing-arts.
Best,
Melissa
My grandfather’s first cousin, Teddy Grace, sang with the Bob Crosby orchestra at the 1939 world’s fair. Can you tell me the date and location of their performance?
Hi Joel,
Thanks for reading! I encourage you to send your question to the Music Division’s reference staff at https://ask.loc.gov/performing-arts.
I do suspect that since the World’s Fair records are kept at the New York Public Library that you’d have better luck contacting them.
Best,
Melissa
I envision a musical with the fair of 39 as back drop. The main number would be Yours For A Song!
My grandmother Ethel Jonathan sang at the 1939 Fair. I am currently looking for any recordings from the performance.
Thanks for reading, Penny! The best options for you are to contact the New York Public Library where the New York World’s Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated records are, as well as the Library of Congress Recorded Sound Research Center.
My Grandfather Luigi Sorrentino played bagpipes on Italian Day in 1939 Worlds Fair
It was in the Daily Mirror
I am looking to see if any video footage exists on this event
Thanks for reading, Mary! I encourage you to contact the Library of Congress Moving Image Research Center. You may also wish to contact the New York Public Library which is the repository for the 1939 and 1940 World’s Fair records.
My mother (Dorothy Kelly) was the female vocalist) in Dick Stritch’s band along with Hal Martin, who won special acclaim in SWING Magazine’s Swing Band Contest at the 1939 World’s Fair. Pics or videos?
Thanks for reading, Ginny! The best options for you are to contact the New York Public Library where the New York World’s Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated records are. I also encourage you to send your question to the Music Division’s reference staff at https://ask.loc.gov/performing-arts. We can see if there are issues of Swing Magazine with content related to the World’s Fair!
Best,
Melissa