1939 New York World's Fair Ford Road of Tomorrow 0400-2734

A high view down the Road of Tomorrow at Ford's exposition at the 1939 New York World's Fair, streamlined cars climbing the elevated concrete ramp while a crowd watches from the terraces.

What Is in This Photograph?

A tall black and white frame shot from above and behind the ramp. Two lanes of pale concrete, divided by a low kerb and edged with white pipe railing, run away from the camera and rise towards a spiral loop at the centre right. Five cars are on the road, all late-1930s streamlined shapes with faired-in headlamps, split rear screens and teardrop tails, the nearest almost filling the bottom of the frame. Beyond the loop the pavilion's curved white walls and rounded rooflines step back under a flagpole and a large banner. To the right a dense crowd in hats and coats lines a curving terrace with a circular pool; to the left a formal garden with clipped hedges, bare young trees and pale gravel paths, with small groups of visitors walking. The negative is lettered N.Y. 221 in the lower right corner.

What Was the Road of Tomorrow?

A working half-mile spiral road built into Ford's pavilion so that visitors could be driven around it. The exposition was designed by industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague, the road was reinforced concrete surfaced with non-skid Monocork, and thirty-six Fords, Mercurys and Lincoln-Zephyrs carried passengers, driven by seventy-five trained young men held to a constant 12 mph (1939 New York World's Fair). The building itself was executed by architect Albert Kahn from Teague's designs (Balboa Park History). Ford advertised the ride nationally as part of the fair's argument about the future of driving (The Henry Ford).

Why Photograph It From Above?

Because the point of the exhibit was the shape of the road, and at ground level a ramp is just a ramp. From this height the spiral, the climb and the way the road passes over the garden are all legible at once, the cars become spaced markers that give the structure scale, and the crowd on the right explains that this was a queue for a ride rather than a piece of traffic engineering.

Who Is This Print For?

This Road of Tomorrow print suits collectors of world's fair and art deco material, streamline moderne and mid-century design enthusiasts, architects and planners, and interiors that want a tall monochrome image with strong perspective. The vertical proportion suits a narrow wall, stairwell or alcove where a landscape print will not fit. Choose framed print, stretched canvas, ChromaLuxe metal or Gicl\u00e9e.

Photograph Details

• Subject: Road of Tomorrow, Ford exposition, 1939 New York World's Fair
• Exposition designer: Walter Dorwin Teague, building by Albert Kahn
• The ride: Half-mile spiral concrete road, thirty-six Fords, Mercurys and Lincoln-Zephyrs, held to 12 mph
• Negative marking: N.Y. 221 in the lower right corner
• Archive reference: 0400-2734

This archival photograph is made available through Fordimages.com, the official Ford archive imagery licensee operated by Richard Weedn LLC. Each image is digitally restored before printing and handcrafted to order.

Available as:

• Framed Print — museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, hanging hardware included
• Stretched Canvas — hand-stretched over 1.25-inch pine bars, heavy cotton poly matte finish
• ChromaLuxe Metal Print — image infused directly onto sheets of alloy metal for maximum vibrancy and durability
• Giclée Art Print — 260gsm satin finish paper, finest archival inks, white border

Made in the USA or Europe depending on your location.

About the Artwork

Artwork in this collection comes from the Ford Motor Company Archives, The Henry Ford Museum, the Carroll Shelby Archives, and the collections of acclaimed photographers and painters from around the world. Reproduction rights are reserved by the respective copyright owners.

Our framed prints feature a black, hand-stained solid wood frame with a white mat, museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, and hanging hardware. The frame features a slim 0.8-inch face and projects 1.3 inches from the wall, creating a clean, contemporary shadow-box effect. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our stretched canvas prints are produced on acid-free, pH-neutral, and fade-resistant canvas. Each canvas is hand-glued to solid wood stretcher bars and stretched over 1.25-inch-thick pine bars. Mounting brackets are included. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our Giclée prints are produced using premium 200gsm semi-gloss paper and high-quality archival inks. Each print includes a white border around the perimeter.

For the 40 x 60 size, we use 250gsm museum-quality archival paper with an off-white, uncoated finish.

The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within the selected paper size. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

ChromaLuxe prints use a state-of-the-art coating process that infuses the image directly onto sheets of alloy metal. The result is photography with an exceptional combination of vibrancy, clarity, and durability.

Each print arrives ready to hang. An alloy subframe on the back allows the artwork to float away from the wall for a sleek, modern appearance. This is the finest-quality print we offer. Made in the USA.

All images are digitally restored before printing. Production location varies by product and destination. Shipping is calculated at checkout.