Delightful footage of the 1964-65 NY World's Fair, featuring Danny, Bobby, and Mom

We stumbled across this film footage taken during the 1964-65 NY World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Park. The kids, Danny and Bobby, are adorable, and make an appearance throughout the film, waving at the camera or petting what looks like a big hairy bison. Their grandfather, Gus Martens, was behind the 8mm camera for the daytime shots, and spliced in the night footage at the end from a souvenir newsreel.

It’s really fascinating to see moving images – not just photos – of the World’s Fair, and the park at that time. It was fun to see the various performances, along with the structures and fountains. We spied some familiar elements, too – the Unisphere is particularly stunning.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta8pflFU8Yo]

So as we are poised to move forward to a new year, let’s take a look back in time – almost 50 year in the past – to another era in Queens. Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone!