NYPL Biblion: World's Fair
By The New York Public Library
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Description
***Apple "Education App of the Year" 2011
***Honorable Mention in the 2011 Knight-Batten Awards
Enter the World of Tomorrow and experience the 1939–40 New York World’s Fair through the collections of The New York Public Library! Biblion: The Boundless Library is designed to take you — all but literally — into the Library's legendary stacks, opening up hidden parts of the collections and the myriad story lines they hold and preserve. In this free app you will hold documents, images, films, audio, and essays directly from the collections right in your hands.
With Biblion, you can jump from stack to stack, story to story, as you move through the infoscape of the World's Fair, created directly from NYPL's Manuscripts and Archives Division. The Fair — like the Library — has something for everyone, covering a range of topics from technological innovation, music, and pop culture, to a world dealing with the crises of war and economic hardship.
Biblion: World’s Fair allows you to:
•read original essays from such prominent writers as Karen Abbott, William Grimes, Henry Jenkins, Elliott Kalan, James Mauro, and others
•view General Motors' famous Futurama ride, in full color, from the original carousel!
•explore the development of the Fair's designs, uniforms, buildings, and exhibits, including Salvador Dalí’s then-shocking Dream of Venus extravaganza
•relish the outrageous restaurant ideas that never made the cut
•learn about the fate of the Czechoslovakia Pavilion after the country was invaded by Hitler
•discover what was buried inside the Westinghouse Time Capsule ... not to be opened until the year 6939!
•fly from story to story, charting your own journey through the stacks…
This first issue of Biblion explores only one part of the Library’s vast and awe-inspiring holdings. Future editions will open up other parts of the Library’s collections, services, or programs.
What's New in Version 1.5.1
UI Bugfixes
iPad Screenshots





Customer Reviews
OUTSTANDING
I am a World's Fair fanatic (especially NYC '39-'40) and this app, when shown to me by a friend, actually induced me to buy an iPad. The presentation of the unimaginably comprehensive information is so clear and let's you explore it with such free-associative abandon... well, I was not only absorbed by the content, but so entertained by how it was presented, I can't wait for the next NYPL Biblion collaboration.
Yesteryear Today
Being born in 1942, my first world's fair was in 1963/4 in Flushing, New York. I remember my mother and Aunt Fanny always talking about their memories of this fair in 1939. I can now appreciate exactly what they were talking about. In 1963 I was working for General Electric and was so happy I could get my family into the side "employee" entrance. What excitement to see the world of tomorrow in 1963. Now through this ap I am able to see what my parents and family could see 3 years before I was even born. Thank you ever so much. Wish my Mom were still alive to relive this. Thanks again.
Excellent !
Looking forward to other archives.

- Free
- Category: Education
- Updated: Oct 09, 2011
- Version: 1.5.1
- Size: 202 MB
- Languages: English, German
- Seller: The New York Library Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations
- © 2011, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations
Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
