April 30, 1939 Flushing Meadows New York, World's Fair "Building the World of Tomorrow" opening ceremony, 700-foot Trylon spire and 200-foot Perisphere gleaming white against spring blue sky, President Franklin Roosevelt delivering opening speech from decorated platform draped in red, white, and blue bunting, crowd of 200,000 visitors in colorful spring clothing walking along Court of Peace, Futurama exhibit building designed by Norman Bel Geddes painted in streamlined silver and blue, international pavilions displaying flags from 33 nations in bright primary colors, visitors wearing period clothing including men in gray suits and panama hats, women in floral print dresses and picture hats, 1939 Chrysler Airflow and Ford Deluxe automobiles in exhibit displays showing automotive future, Berenice Abbott documentary style with 1930s Kodachrome color rendition, 35mm lens capturing both architectural grandeur and human scale of international exposition, elevated shot from Parachute Jump showing fair's comprehensive layout and color coordination, bright April sunlight creating sharp shadows and emphasizing fair's optimistic white and pastel color scheme, mood of technological optimism and international cooperation on eve of World War II, brilliant color palette featuring fair's signature white architecture, colorful international pavilions, spring clothing fashions, and landscaping with tulips and daffodils, composition using Trylon and Perisphere as central focal point with radiating pathways organizing crowd flow, background showing Manhattan skyline and LaGuardia Airport with early commercial aviation, authentic 1939 atmosphere of American confidence in technological progress and international peace.