This week, we return to the 1964 World’s Fair, where a special exhibit for children touted the wonders of atomic energy. Among other activities, the children learned how to use mechanical hands to safely handle uranium, searched for ore on a light-up map, and rode a stationary bike to discover that it would take thirty years of pedaling to equal the energy in one pound of uranium.
From the release sheet:
CHILDREN CORNER, WORLD’S FAIR CATERS TO THE SMALL FRY It can be estimated that half of the admissions to the New York World’s Fair will be children- so why not an exhibit for them alone, it’s Atomsville, USA, and only children are admitted to operate nuclear displays. The lost children’s bureau is also a busy place as fifty parents a day become mislaid.
You may view the complete reel, which also includes a story about Henry Cabot Lodge resigning as ambassador to Vietnam and coverage of the 24 hour auto race in Le Mans, France, here.
About the Universal Newsreel Collection at NARA:
The Universal Newsreel Collection is one of the most used motion picture collections at the National Archives and Records Administration. Universal Newsreels were shown in movie theaters twice a week, from 1929 until 1967, and covered a wide range of American life and history during that time period. Each release usually contained five to seven stories averaging two minutes in length.
In 1974, Universal deeded its edited newsreel and outtake collection to the United States through the National Archives (NARA), and did not place any copyright restrictions on its use (some stories may contain other underlying intellectual property or proprietary use rights).
While Universal disposed of many of the soundtracks, leaving the newsreels incomplete, supplementary material like scripts, shot lists, and event programs can be found in the production files, available for research at Archives II in College Park, Maryland.
Learn more about the Universal Newsreel Collection in this post and in this Prologue article. Watch other Universal Newsreels in our research room, in OPA, and on this playlist.