Armstrong Goes to the (World’s) Fair, Part 2
The 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition & The 1964 New York World’s Fair
My name is James McMahon and for the past year I have been working as a project archivist for LancasterHistory. My responsibilities include cataloguing and digitizing a vast collection of archival materials that document the significant role of the cork industry in the local economy. Recently, I came across a collection of photographs documenting the participation of Armstrong Cork Company in three different twentieth century world’s fairs—two in 1939 and one in 1964. In Part I of this two part blog we looked at Armstrong’s participation in the 1939 New York World’s Fair. In Part II we will explore Armstrong’s participation in the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition held at San Francisco’s Treasure Island and the 1964 New York World’s Fair held 25 years after its 1939 predecessor in the same location.
Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939

Less well-known than its New York counterpart, the Golden Gate International Exposition opened on February 18, 1939 and closed on September 29, 1940. While not an official World’s Fair as designated by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), President Roosevelt and Congress designated the event as the country’s official World’s Fair of the West. Billed as the “Pageant of the Pacific,” the event commemorated the recent completion of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay (1936) and Golden Gate (1937) bridges while at the same time celebrating the heritage and cultures of countries surrounding the Pacific Ocean. According to one exposition guide, “The eclectic blend of Oriental, Occidental, and South Pacific art and culture symbolized and emphasized harmony and unity.”

As in New York, structures at the San Francisco fair also used a variety of Armstrong products in outfitting various buildings and exhibits. These included the installation of a multicolor linoleum floor in the Bank of America Building; a floor consisting of rust Jaspé, marine blue, taupe, rose taupe, and Malay Brown patterns. Pennsylvania companies using Armstrong linoleum and resilient tiles in their exhibits included the Pennsylvania Railroad, W.P. Fuller-Pittsburgh Plate Glass, and H. J. Heinz. An Armstrong guidebook to the exposition proudly noted that “Where millions are walking… Armstrong’s Floors have proved themselves in durability and decorative scope from Rockefeller Center to the corner grocery store or smallest cottage. We are proud that at the Pacific’s great exposition in commerce, industry, and the American home, Armstrong has maintained its leadership ‘wherever America walks.’”
Linking the World

Armstrong flooring materials were used in a slightly different manner in the “Linking the World” exhibit for Italian Lines, operators of various luxury ocean liners. On a map of the world highlighting the various oceangoing routes operated by the carrier, oceans were designated by white lettering on oriental blue material and continents by tan lettering on fawn material. The floor was made of marble imported from Italy. Although little remembered today, Italian Lines was the owner of the ill-fated SS Andrea Doria, a cruise ship launched in 1951 and sunk in 1956 following a collision off the coast of Nantucket with the MS Stockholm of the Swedish American Line.
New York World’s Fair, 1964

The 1964 New York World’s Fair, like the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition, did not receive official support or approval from the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE). As a result, the fair became largely a showcase of mid-century American culture and technology. Nevertheless, with the Unisphere at its symbol and guided by the theme “Peace Through Understanding,” fair organizers turned to international trade and tourism organizations rather than governments to sponsor exhibits and pavilions. Open from April 22, 1964 until October 17, 1965, the fair attracted more than 51 million visitors. Seeking to capitalize on the international flavor of the fair, Armstrong created a series of internationally inspired rooms placed on display at the Armstrong Product Center in Rockefeller Center. The street-level showroom, opened in 1961 and featuring large two-story windows along 49th Street as well as a revolving circular display behind curved glass at the east end of the facility, served as the setting for what was then the largest display of Armstrong-designed rooms ever assembled in one place.
The Armstrong World of Interior Design
Within this space, Armstrong created “The Armstrong World of Interior Design” exhibit to appeal specifically to the international flavor of the fair. The exhibit consisted of eight specially designed theme rooms plus a room of the future designed by various members of Armstrong’s Bureau of Interior Design. Themed rooms incorporated motifs, colors, and accessories from Costal Africa, Australia, Japan, Canada, Turkey, Chile, England, and South Africa. The two-story curved glass window highlighted a colorful South American ski lodge revolving on an 18-foot turntable. Once inside, visitors were able to walk along wide corridors to view the room displays and various Armstrong products. As noted in introductory panel to the exhibit: “This collection of room interiors draws on ideas from many nations and cultures. They have been selected to show the various sources of decorating ideas available to the modern homemaker. While no one room may precisely fit your family’s tastes or needs, we hope you’ll find many ideas you can adapt successfully.”
International Celebrations Past and Present

Since the mid-nineteenth century more than 100 international celebrations have been held in more than 20 countries throughout the world. The first world’s fair/international exposition was the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations held in London in 1851. The first world’s fair held in the United States was the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, held in New York City in 1853-54. The first major international exposition held in the United States was the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 held in Philadelphia; the last was the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition held in New Orleans.
Although traditionally referred to as world’s fairs or international exhibitions, these global gatherings are officially called world expositions by the Bureau of International Expositions, the international body charged with regulating and overseeing these events since 1928. Today, world expositions are generally held every five years—the last being Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy. Expo 2020, scheduled to be hosted by Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now scheduled to open on October 1, 2021. To learn more about Expo 2020, click here for general information. To learn more about the USA Pavilion at Expo 2020, click here for pavilion information.
From Archives Blog