Souvenir badges

These two enamelled metal badges are souvenirs from the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. The one on the left was made by the Whitehead & Hoag Co of Newark, New Jersey.

The left hand badge is inscribed 'VISITOR/AT/PUERTO RICO/U.S.A./ NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR/PAVILION'. The right hand one is in the exhibition colours of orange and blue and has a representation of the Trylon and Perisphere. It is inscribed '1939/NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR I WAS THERE'.

At the centre of the 1939 fair, the organisers constructed the Trylon and Perisphere and adopted them as the official exhibition logo. Most souvenirs depict or echo this superb, inspiring feature and many also bear the symbol of a conjoined triangle-circle. The success of the Trylon and Perisphere and the souvenirs led to the Atomium at the 1958 Brussels Expo, the Space Needle at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair and the Unisphere at the 1964-5 New York World's Fair and their related souvenirs.

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