The Unisphere and the Rocket Thrower, Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, NY
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 40° 44.852 W 073° 50.481
18T E 597815 N 4511376
These two remnants of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair can still be seen in New York City's Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Waymark Code: WMFPYR
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 11/15/2012
Views: 23
Not much remains of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. Most of the pavilions and exhibits were built as temporary structures or have since been moved elsewhere. Amazingly, both objects depicted on this postage stamp still remain in their original locations. These are the Unisphere which was the centerpiece of the fair, and the sculpture entitled “The Rocket Thrower” by Donald De Lue.
The Unisphere is a large globe standing 140 feet tall and made of stainless steel. It was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke, the fair’s architect, and funded by the US Steel Corporation. Weighing in at 700,000 lbs., it took about five months to build and it became the enduring symbol of the fair.
“The Rocket Thrower” stands 43 feet high and is made of bronze. It was meant to represent man’s exploration of space which was one of the themes of the fair. The place where it stands was known as the Court of the Astronauts.
The image on the stamp was based on an illustration, one of many that were used on post cards and other paraphernalia sold at the fair. A little artistic license was used for the illustration, namely, turning the sculpture around so that it’s facing the viewer with the Unisphere in the background.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 1964
Denomination: 5 cents
Color: blue green
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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