When the 1939 New York World’s Fair took place, Lynbrook, New York was only a 26 minute drive away. One Lynbrook resident, J. Frank Simonson (1882-1973) of 150 Hempstead Avenue, took advantage of that and spent at least 15 different days between June 25th and October 19th of 1939 photographing different landmarks, attractions, exhibits and pavilions of the fair. Simonson also used multiple cameras to capture these events which include a Rollieflex, a Rollieflex Automat, and a Prefex 44.
Scope of Collection
This photo album contains 204 photographs of the 1939 New York World’s Fair as well as a few other events such as a camping trip, a boat ride on the East River, children playing in a swimming hole in Malverne, New York, and a couple photos of an older man working in what appears to be a basement.
Recently rediscovered through the Historical Society of East Rockaway and Lynbrook’s partnership with the Long Island Library Resources Council's Access Archives Pilot Program, this digitized photo album resides in the archives collection of the society.
