Susan Bennett, Full Interview

Collection: Queens Museum Oral History Project Records at the Archives at Queens Library: Susan Bennett

Date: Time Period: 1964; 2014-08-08; Interview recorded: Aug 8, 2014 Material: Digital audio recording made using Zoom H2 digital recorder and Audacity. Dimension: Total running time: 0:04:48

Creator: Susan Bennett interviewed by Abigail Banks Identifier: aql:18425 bennett_susan_full

Description: Susan Bennett visited her father's family in Brooklyn every summer as a child and in 1964, when she was 8 years old, they came to the World's Fair. She recalls having her photo taken in front of the Unisphere by family as well as strangers. Her father worked for US Rubber, which hosted the Ferris Wheel and she felt that it was a manifestation of the US industry and its status as a world power at the time. Seeing the exhibits of other countries was eye opening for her because jet-setting or world travel was not as common as it is now. Standout memories for her included seeing the animatronic President Lincoln and Michelangelo's Pieta. Since her father was head of research and development at Uni-Royal and was involved in the development of many of the tires they built, she felt a connection to the tire ferris wheel, but was unable to ride it because of the hour long lines. The tire is now at Detroit airport and acts as a symbol of Detroit. She reflects on the crowds and souvenirs at the Fair but regrets not getting to visit â€œthe cool stuffâ€ (Disney exhibits, other rides) because her parents didn't want to wait in lines.

Title : Susan Bennett, Full Interview

Collection : aql:20455; aql:18354

Creator : Susan Bennett interviewed by Abigail Banks

Date : Time Period: 1964; 2014-08-08; Interview recorded: Aug 8, 2014

Summary/Description : Susan Bennett visited her father's family in Brooklyn every summer as a child and in 1964, when she was 8 years old, they came to the World's Fair. She recalls having her photo taken in front of the Unisphere by family as well as strangers. Her father worked for US Rubber, which hosted the Ferris Wheel and she felt that it was a manifestation of the US industry and its status as a world power at the time. Seeing the exhibits of other countries was eye opening for her because jet-setting or world travel was not as common as it is now. Standout memories for her included seeing the animatronic President Lincoln and Michelangelo's Pieta. Since her father was head of research and development at Uni-Royal and was involved in the development of many of the tires they built, she felt a connection to the tire ferris wheel, but was unable to ride it because of the hour long lines. The tire is now at Detroit airport and acts as a symbol of Detroit. She reflects on the crowds and souvenirs at the Fair but regrets not getting to visit â€œthe cool stuffâ€ (Disney exhibits, other rides) because her parents didn't want to wait in lines.

Subject : New York World's Fair (1964-1965 : New York, N.Y.); Exhibitions

Relation : Queens Museum Oral History Project Records at the Archives at Queens Library: Susan Bennett

Rights : Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.

Coverage : Locations discussed: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, NY Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (New York, N.Y.) Queens (New York, N.Y.)

Type : Oral history

Format : Digital audio recording made using Zoom H2 digital recorder and Audacity.; Total running time: 0:04:48

Identifier : aql:18425 bennett_susan_full