Today we press on with Part 7 of our
9 Part series of vintage Seattle Center and ’62 World’s Fair photos sent in by Josh Salwitz.
In this batch you’ll find two further construction photos and more snaps from the Fair itself.
Once again huge thanks go to Josh for sending these in. Until the next installment… click for the high res versions.
Seattle Center and Space Needle under construction, 1961-1962.
Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
Seattle Center and Space Needle under construction, 1961-1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
The Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair) 1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
The Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair) 1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
The Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair) 1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
The Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World’s Fair) 1962. Photo courtesy Josh Salwitz.
When I pause and consider that many of the folks in these photos returned from defeating the Hun just a decade and a half earlier in a Europe of stone rubble, I can see how this marvelous array of edifices must have appeared to them — blazingly modern. It suddenly gives me a soft spot for those goofy squares of color in the first photo, which look so retro now.
Love that observation, Matt.
I was in Magus Books the other day and in the Northwest history section is a really fun Seattle travel book from 1961. The author mentions that as he is writing, the World’s Fair and Space Needle are being built and how exciting it is. He also mentions that when it is complete, the Space Needle is to have an 80 foot gas flame on the top! Clearly this never happened and it’s the first I’d heard of that. Anyone know what made them change their plan?
@Shannon It was my understanding that the Needle did indeed have a gas flame on the top pylon during the fair (sponsored by Washington Natural Gas, who else?!), but it was extinguished during the fsir’s closing ceremonies, never to be re-lit.
Well, I’ll be jiggered! I’ve never seen a photo of it before, but found one:
http://www.vintageseattle.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/needle_set04_05.jpg
Learn something new every day! Thanks, Tom K!
And I just realized that the photo is from this site, duh! I don’t know how I missed that before. . .
The flame on the top used to be lit every half hour and then every hour after the fair. The flames did damage to the light tower and it finally was turned off. I used to watch it at night.