1939 NY World's Fair Masthead

Kodak

by David J. Cope
World's Fair Historian
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The Hall of Color proved unbelievably popular with its newly-developed sight and sound show. The performance utilized eleven specially constructed slide projectors at a cost of $100,000. Twenty-foot high and 187-foot long screens around the entire circumference of the hall, and over 200,000 slides. Eight photographers spent a year on assignment, collecting color photos of hunting dogs, babies, athletes, newlyweds, and every fantastic landform.

For each twelve-minute performance, ninety-six slides were set up in each machine. A recorded commentator narrated the on going slides. Musical accompaniment included "Rockabye Baby," "Turkey in the Straw," Liszt's "Lieberstraum," and a wedding march.

The show opened with a Grecian frieze in black and white and dissolved into the same one with every woman in modern dress. One of the most spectacular moments was a panoramic view of the New York daylight skyline that faded into the same, but at night. Another series followed the life of a boy from birth through marriage and a honeymoon at Niagara Falls.

The slide show changed frequently. To honor the visit of Britain’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to the fairgrounds, the show highlighted scenes in London and the British Isles and included selected photographs taken by the King.