A look at Ford Times and the 1964 New York World’s Fair

Ford Times was a monthly publication distributed by Ford Motors from 1908 to 1996. The small 4×6″ magazine was largely comprised of articles on American travel, sports and leisure; all of which, of course, could be experienced by way of the latest genuine Ford motor vehicle. The May 1964 special issue of Ford Times would have arrived just in time for the late-April opening of the World’s Fair and the entire 65-page publication is dedicated to the massive event in Flushing Meadows. Understandably, an entire section is dedicated to Ford’s massive pavilion at the Fair which featured Walt Disney’s Magic Skyway.

This special World’s Fair edition of Ford Times opens with an introduction by then-mayor of New York City, Robert Wagner, in which Wagner argues that boasting about New York isn’t really boasting because New York really is that awesome. Wagner’s introduction is promptly followed up by an article on the Fair by William Laas who encourages you to plan accordingly when planning your visit to the Fair, suggesting the Ford Pavilion as your first stop:

In truth the World’s Fair offers so many diversions that the fun-seeker’s problem is one of time and leg power and pocketbook. It wouldn’t hurt to do a little advance homework to plan an itinerary. With a bow to my sponsor, I’d pick the Ford Pavilion as the ideal starting point for such a tour.

The Ford Pavilion’s section spans thirteen pages and is rich with gorgeous paintings and drawings by WED Enterprises (now known as Walt Disney Imagineering). The “Ford Wonder Rotuna” feature (written by Richard Barrett) with its rich, evocative language, is a delight to read. Barrett touches on everything from the pavilion’s size and dramatic design — “It fairly looms above and beyond you with almost a physical impact. The gracefully curving pylons of the Rotunda stab the sky…” — to the attractions contained within the pavilion:

Unlike many exhibits which you merely look at and pass on, the Ford exhibits, created by Walt Disney and designed by his WED Enterprises, Inc., are a series of new adventures which you actually become a part of, and in this respect each is an excitingly different, personal experience.

Beyond the Ford Pavilion, the magazine goes on to detail various offerings at the Fair including shopping at “over a score of foreign pavilions” featuring “fascinating gifts from far-off lands,” the “delectable delicacies from distant shores” at the Fair’s more than 100 restaurants and includes a visitor guide for those coming from outside of New York.

Below is a free downloadable .PDF version of the entire Ford Times New York and World’s Fair Special Issue from May 1964.

Ford Times — New York and World’s Fair Special Issue
May 1964
65 pages / 35 digital pages
Download: PDF Format (92.2 MB)
View Online: Google Drive