American-Israel Pavilion, New York World's Fair (1964-1965) Collection
Scope and Content Note
The American-Israel Pavilion, New York World's Fair (1964-1965) Collection was compiled by Zechariahu Sitchin, the president of the American-Israeli World’s Fair Corporation. The collection contains a record of the American-Israel pavilion through photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, press releases, and other materials. The collection has records of the construction of the pavilion in all forms of materials stated above, with photographs showing a timeline of the construction. The collection contains correspondence from Harry Caplin to Robert Moses as well as many newspaper clippings and press releases that chronicle the fight to censor a mural and poem in the Jordanian Pavilion that depicted Israelis as warmongers who expelled Jordanians from Israel to take their land, from the initial reaction until its conclusion and the American-Israeli Pavilion’s response. The collection contains depictions of performances, food vendors, and images of the exhibitions present at the Pavilion.
Dates
- Creation: 1961-1965
Language of Materials
The collection is in English and Hebrew.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society.
Use Restrictions
Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011
email: reference@ajhs.org
Historical Note <extptr title="American-Israel Pavilion, New York World's Fair, 1964" href="http://digital.cjh.org/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=3849094" show="embed" altrender=" " actuate="onload"/>
The American-Israel Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair was created by the American-Israeli World’s Fair Corporation.1 The State of Israel was unable to create their own pavilion, citing economic reasons. The corporation secured a spot in the World’s Fair to build a pavilion to represent and familiarize the American people with the State of Israel.2 The exhibition designers constructed an exhibition hall to teach people about Israel and sold Israeli goods at the shops in the Pavilion. That year, there was also a Jordanian pavilion which had, as part of their exhibition, put up a mural that denigrated the State of Israel. Because of this, there were some issues with relations between the Pavilion and the Jordanian one, but these were never permanently resolved.3 The Pavilion was presided over by Zechariahu Sitchin in his capacity as president of the American-Israeli World’s Fair Corporation.
Footnotes
- 1American-Israel Pavilion, New York World's Fair (1964-1965) Collection; I-585; box 1; folder 3; American Jewish Historical Society, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
- 2Ibid.
- 3Ibid.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (1 manuscript box)
Abstract
The records of the World’s Fair American-Israel Pavilion consists of materials relating to the American-Israel Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair. The collection contains numerous pictures of the Pavilion, both while it was under construction and while it was in use during the Fair, as well as newspaper articles. The collection also contains a souvenir guide and press releases from the opening. The collection also details the disagreement between the American-Israeli World’s Fair Corporation and the Jordanian Pavilion regarding an inflammatory mural through correspondence, press releases, and articles from various sources.
Arrangement
Arranged in a single series by material type, then chronologically.
Physical Location
Located in AJHS New York, NY
Acquisition Information
Received as gift from Edna Aizenberg, 2013.
Subject
- Caplin, Harold (Person)
- Moses, Robert, 1888-1981 (Person)
- Poletti, Charles, 1903-2002 (Person)
- Sitchin, Zecharia (Person)
- Straus, Nathan, III, 1916-2014 (Person)
- American-Israel Pavilion (Organization)
- New York World's Fair (Location of meeting: New York, N.Y.). Date of meeting or treaty signing: (1964-1965 :.) (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the American-Israel Pavilion, New York World's Fair (1964-1965) Collection, 1961-1965 I-585
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Nachum Fisch
- Date
- © 2012
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Repository Details
Part of the American Jewish Historical Society Repository
