Guide to the Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the World's Fair NMAH.AC.0560 Vanessa Broussard-Simmons and Jon Zackman 2014 Archives Center, National Museum of American History P.O. Box 37012 Suite 1100, MRC 601 Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 [email protected] http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Biographical / Historical.................................................................................................... 2 Arrangement..................................................................................................................... 4 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 3 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 7 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 9 Series 1: Edward J. Orth Personal Papers, 1915-1989, undated............................ 9 Series 2: Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and World's Fair Collector's Society, Incorporated Records, 1942-1990, undated........................... 14 Series 3: New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records, 1900-1988, undated................................................................................................................... 27 Series 4: Photographic Materials, 1939-1968, undated......................................... 53 Series 5: Scrapbooks and Yearbooks, 1938-1981................................................. 92 Series 6: Postcards, 1906-1985, undated.............................................................. 98 Series 7: Publications, 1922-1989, undated........................................................ 111 Series 8: Materials Relating to Other Fairs, Celebrations and Events, 1851-2000, undated................................................................................................................. 129 Series 9: Ephemera, 1892-1989, undated........................................................... 147 Series 10: Audio Visual Materials, 1939, 1964-1965, undated............................ 151 Series 11: Oversize Materials, 1835-05-25-1992, undated.................................. 156 Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the World's Fair NMAH.AC.0560 Collection Overview Repository: Archives Center, National Museum of American History Title: Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the World's Fair Identifier: NMAH.AC.0560 Date: 1835-2000, undated Creator: Orth, Edward J. (Collector) Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (Collector) Extent: 130 Cubic feet (417 boxes, 25 map-folders) Language: Collection text is in English. Some materials in Arabic, Czech, French, Hebrew, and Spanish. Summary: Collection documents the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York. Also includes material relating to other fairs, the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO), New York City tourism and The Walt Disney Company. Administrative Information Separated Materials Materials at the National Museum of American History Artifacts from the collection include several thousand souvenirs and examples of memorabilia commemorating the fair to include buttons and badges, ceramics, glassware, clothing, costume jewelry, coins and medals, commemorative spoons and flatware, toys and games, and philatelic material which are all part of the Division of Home and Community Life's holdings (now Division of Cultural and Community Life). Related Materials Materials in the Archives Center New York World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0134 Landor Design Collection, NMAH.AC.0500 Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subject Category, World Expos, NMAH.AC.0060 Larry Zim World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0519 Alice R. Hillis World's Fair Film, NMAH.AC.0531 Borden Company 1939 New York World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.1063 Memories of the New York World's Fair, NMAH.AC.0592 Archives Center World Expositions Collection, NMAH.AC.0825 Daniel H. Meyerson World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0745 Division of Community Life World's Fairs Collection, NMAH.AC.1132 Princeton University Posters Collection, NMAH.AC.0433 Page 1 of 163 Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the World's Fair NMAH.AC.0560 Hills Bros. Coffee Company, Incorporated Records, NMAH.AC.0395 Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project, NMAH.AC.0417 Messmore and Damon Company Records, NMAH.AC.0846 Thomas Norrell Railroad Collection, NMAH.AC.1174 William L. Bird Holidays on Display Collection, NMAH.AC.1288 Wurlitzer Company Records, NMAH.AC.0469 Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0200 Materials at Other Organizations New York Public Library The New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records, 1935-1945, MssCol 2233. New York City 1939 World's Fair architectural drawings, circa 1935. Museum of the City of New York. Museum of the City of New York. New York City 1939 World's Fair Collection, 1939-1940. Museum of the City of New York. New York World's Fair 1939/40 Collection. Queens Museum. 1939 New York World's Fair Postcards, Identifier: 1972-320, Audiovisual Collections Repository, Hagley Museum & Library Processing Information Collection processed by Jon Zackman, museum specialist, 1989; Ron Simon, intern, 1998; Anne Jones, volunteer, 2014; Franklin A. Robinson Jr., archivist, 2014; and Vanessa Broussard- Simmons, archivist, 2014. Finding aid encoded by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2014. Preferred Citation Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the New York World's Fair, Archives Center, National Museum of American History Restrictions Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Viewing film portion of collection requires special appointment, please inquire. Do not use when original materials are available on reference video or audio tapes. Contact the Archives Center for information at [email protected] or 202-633-3270. Conditions Governing Use Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Biographical / Historical Biographical / Historical Edward Joseph Orth grew up with a strong interest in history, particularly the history of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Orth's visit to the fair as a twelve-year-old boy led to a life-long passion of collecting. At the time of his death, he had amassed enough materials to fill two homes in California. Orth also collected materials Page 2 of 163 Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the World's Fair NMAH.AC.0560 from several other fairs. In addition, he saved some of the records of the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and the World's Fair Collector's Society. Orth was born April 19, 1927, to Andrew Joseph Orth and Florence Minnie Gordon Orth in Glendale, New York. In the 1930s, the Orth family lived in several locations in New York including Ridgewood, Brooklyn, Glendale, and Queens. The home that made the most impact in young Orth's life came in 1935 when the family moved to St. Albans, Queens seven miles from Flushing Meadow Park, the future site of the 1939 fair. Sadly in 1939 there were several deaths in the family including three grandparents. The severe loss of life limited family social activities but a drive by the future site of the fair provided Orth a glimpse of the Trylon and Perisphere. He would later remark that the sight appeared to be magic. In the summer of 1939, he went to the fair with his classmates from Public School 136. The next summer Orth and his father purchased a 10- admission ticket from an elementary school in Hollis, Queens, New York. He saved every souvenir and any information he could find about the fair. He filled scrapbooks with images from newspapers and postcards from the Curt Teich and Manhattan Postcard companies. When his family moved from an apartment to a house, he acquired a fair bench which was kept in the backyard. In 1941, Orth attended Newton High School in Elmhurst, and Queens, New York. The high school offered a college preparatory program with heavy emphasis on mathematics, science, mechanical drawing, and workshop courses. Orth's education and training combined with the knowledge he gained from motion picture films viewed at the fair, including Thomas Edison's "The City of Light," Ford Motor Company's "Road of Tomorrow," "Democracy," and General Motors' "Futurama" provided the foundation and inspiration for a career in architecture and landscaping. He ultimately became a city planner for the state of California. By 1943, Orth was exploring used magazine and bookstores in New York City to acquire more fair materials before enlisting in the United States Army in 1945. Upon his discharge he resumed buying and trading fair postcards. From 1948-1953, Orth attended the University of California and