The U.S.A and the Spanish Flags

hoisted above the Pavilion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REPORT

OF THE

FIRST PERIOD

The permanent representative of Spain at the United Nations, Don Manuel Aznar, stated publicly that the future of all kinds of relations between the Untied States and Spain would have to be conditioned before the Pavilion and after the Pavilion. This statement which may seem exaggerated to some, is nothing more than the recognition of a Spanish success such as has never before been known in New York. The Pavilion of Spain comprised such an outstanding sum of quantities and qualities on the occasion of this international exhibition that the Pavilion was not the only victor, but all Spain.   From April to October, 1964, more has been written on Spain and published in the press of the United States than in the ten preceding years. And all that has been written, radioed and televised has been favorable.

THE JEWEL OF THE FAIR

The popular magazine Life called our Pavilion The Jewel of the Fair and never has there been such an exact definition, as everything in the Pavilion had been studied, cared for, and worked over as though it were a most splendid jewel. The warmest praises were given to the Pavilion, the mere mention of which would fill many pages. Therefore this banner of praise is more than sufficient: The Jewel of the Fair.   The Clothed Maja. If the Pavilion proved a jewel it was not owing to chance nor to improvisation. At an alarmingly short notice (nine months before the date fixed for the inauguration) the General Commissioner of Spain for the New York Fair, Miguel Garcia de Saez, announced that the New York World's Fair could be the Fair of Spain. The object was ambitious and to some disproportionate, but the final success proved that when one works intelligently and with absolute faith and wholeheartedness, any aim can be reached no matter how fantastic it may seem.   So that the Pavilion of Spain could be a reality, a limited competition was held between twenty Spanish architects. The most outstanding and interesting figures of present-day Spanish architecture took part with their ideas, many of them truly original and ingenious, but not all appropriate for building on the site of the World's Fair.   After a careful scrutiny the project presented by Javier Carvajal was chosen; as the greater part of the project consisted of pre-fabricated pieces, it was possible to erect the Pavilion in short time.

THE ATTRACTIONS OF THE PAVILION

The Pavilion of Spain offered the visitor a complete, present-day yet eternal image of Spain, with its principal characteristics underlined. Its art, brought from the principal museums, with works by El Greco, Velazquez, Ribera, Zurbaran, Murillo and Goya; collections of contemporary art with special works by Picasso, Miro, Dali, Gris and the most renowned contemporary young artists. Two luxury restaurants, Toledo and the Granada considered the smartest of the Fair by all the gastronomical experts of the New York publications; a typical tavern, the Marisqueria Madrid, the favorite haunt of the numerous Spanish and Latin American colony of New York; three bars in which it is possible to taste all kinds of Spanish wines and specialties.

Painting by Miro.

THE THEATRE

The theatre capable of seating eight hundred persons on whose stage have appeared the principal groups of Spanish dancers, such as the Coros y Danzas of Bilbao, Santander, the Canary Islands, Badajoz, Granada, Murcia, Teruel, Zamora and Barcelona; the ballets of the Zambras, Antoinio Gades, Manuela Vargas, Mariemma, Lorquiana and the Ballet Gallego, the Tuna (the Undergraduate musical association) of the Pharmacy Faculty of Madrid and the guitar player, Diaz Cano.
The Inaugural show in the Theatre.	On the same stage visitors were shown Spanish documentaries and the film specially made for the Pavilion: Let's meet Spain, in which a superb panorama of the different Spanish regions and customs was shown. The Pavilion was also a well formed unit exhibiting samples of craftsmanship, new industries, toys, books, typical and popular furniture, perfumes, cars, motor-cycles tourism, etc., all of which enabled one on a detailed visit to realize the importance of Spain in the past and in the future.   Authentic and outstanding historical artistic objects, which, for the first time, had been shown outside Spain, heightened the value of the Pavilion: the crown and sceptre of Queen Isabella the Catholic, the sword Tizona of the hero El Cid, lent a note of legendary history to the elegance and dignity of the rooms of the building.   For all these reasons, the Pavilion of Spain soon became the favorite of all the international ones and one of the most visited of all the Fair. During the first few days entrance was free, but in view of the crowds of visitors, entrance was arranged by means of a ticket costing $0.25. Endless queues formed in front of the gates of the Pavilion during the six months of the fair.
Many a time on public holidays and their eves, the sale of tickets had to be suspended until the Pavilion was emptied. More than ten million visitors have passed through, looking at and praising the beauties to be found inside the Pavilion and many of these visitors have returned several times, eager to absorb the emotion and the variety offered.	Long queues in front of the Pavilion.

FASHION AND HAUTE COUTURE

Fashion Show.

Spanish fashion and haute couture also had a place in the Pavilion; both masculine and feminine for smart well-dressed occasions as for those sporting events requiring suede and leather. Various and varied have been the Galas given over to the important branch of industry of the Spanish dress-making and tailoring trades.

THE MUSEUM PAVILION

The Pavilion of Spain forms a real museum of both classical and in contemporary art, because besides the works brought from museums, a whole series of young artists prepared special works for the Pavilion, such as the sculptors Amadeo Gabino, Pablo Serrano, Jose Luis Sanchez and the painters Vaguero Turcios, Ferrars, Molezun and Jose Maria de Labra, and Cumella, the ceramist. A selection was made of over seventy of the youngest painters and sculptors, and their works were shown in five successive exhibitions with great success in both sales and notices.
The Pavilion of Spain forms a real museum of both classical and in contemporary art, because besides the works brought from museums, a whole series of young artists prepared special works for the Pavilion, such as the sculptors Amadeo Gabino, Pablo Serrano, Jose Luis Sanchez and the painters Vaguero Turcios, Ferrars, Molezun and Jose Maria de Labra, and Cumella, the ceramist. A selection was made of over seventy of the youngest painters and sculptors, and their works were shown in five successive exhibitions with great success in both sales and notices.	Painting by Picasso.
As a special exhibition within the Pavilion we must mention that carried out by the Owen Cheatham Foundation of the collection of jewels designed by Dali which belong to that Foundation. The thirty-one pieces were exhibited for several months for charitable purposes, the proceeds going to the Fight against Cancer. Moe than a hundred Spanish artists have been present at the Pavilion of Spain in the World Fair; the selection ranged from the most illustrious masters to the youngest experimental painters. The Pavilion has been a real museum in which millions of visitors were able to see for themselves the strength of Spanish artistic creation throughout the centuries.

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS

Among the many events that were held in the Pavilion, the blessing of the building by Cardinal Spellman on the 26th April was especially moving. After the blessing, the Cardinal visited all parts of the building and stopped to speak to all kinds of people.

Lady Johnson.

At the end he expressed himself most eloquently: I have to congratulate most warmly all those who have made this marvel of the World Fair possible; everything in the Pavilion has been perfectly planned and carried out. On 9th of May President Johnson's wife visited the Pavilion and had lunch with those who accompanied her at the Toledo restaurant. The eldest daughter of the President also visited the Pavilion on another occasion accompanied by her fiance. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor; the Infanta Cristina of Borbon; President Kennedy's mother and sisters; the Sha of Persia and his wife, the Empress Farah Diva; Mr. Wagner, the Mayor of New York; Richard Dixon; the President of Panama, D. Marcos A Robles; maestro Stokowsky; the dramatist, Arthur Miller; The Secretary for State , Mr. Dean Rusk; the President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Sr. Orlich; the Spanish Labor Minister, Sr. Romeo Gorria; the Commanders of the signatory countries of the OEA; the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. U-Thant; the President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the U.S.A., Mr. Warren; the President of Nicaragua, Sr. Somoza; Cardinal Cushing; the Spanish Minister of Information and Tourism, Sr. Fraga. All these names of personalities are only some of the most famous of the great number of politicians, ambassadors, ministers, film and television stars, writers, sportsmen and all kinds of personalities that have honored the Pavilion of Spain with their presence.

FIESTAS

During these six months numerous celebrations of a special character have been held in the Pavilion. One of the most picturesque was the Verbena of San Antonio on the eve of June 13th, with all the popular and typical events of such summer festivities. There were also special circumstances that caused the attention and curiosity of the people to be fixed in a special way on the Pavilion. The three-millionth visitor was George K. Bird, a Massachussets teacher who visited the Pavilion accompanied by his wile and his four children and who was splendidly treated. The Madrid shell-fish Tavern celebrated the 75,000 paella served on the premises. Luck fell to the North-American family Rizor who were visiting the Pavilion for the first time. The distinction of being the 8,000,000th visitor fell to the businessman from Guatemala, Sr. Herrara. All these lucky people were entertained splendidly and visited the whole Pavilion free.   The Tuna. One of the most moving events was that held on June 26th in honor of the foreign representatives of the United Nations. Almost all the representatives and ambassadors attended the Pavilion for the Spanish Fiesta which consisted of a gala dinner and a theatrical show of Spanish songs an dances. For the first time since the UNO was constituted all its representatives were gathered together at an event organized by Spain.   October 12th was proclaimed Day of Spain at the Fair. On account of this there were different events held in which the affection of the Ibero-American countries toward Spain became manifest and was symbolized principally in the offerings of flowers and fruits before the statue of Queen Isabella the Catholic which presides over the Pavilion of Spain.

CLOSING

The closing of the Pavilion at the end of the first stage of the Fair was most moving. The flags which had flown for six months sided by side were stuck, the North-American one by the Commissioner, Sr. Garcia de Saez, and the Spanish one by an American watchman who guarded the Pavilion at night.   Thousands of newspaper articles, of radio commentaries, of television and cinema news-reels, were all in praise of the Pavilion of Spain.   AMONG OTHER DISTINCTIONS, THE PAVILION HAS RECEIVED:   THE GOLD MEDAL OF THE NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR   FIRST PRIZE OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTS OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1964   GOLD MEDAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF INTERIOR DECORATORS   GOLD MEDAL OF THE SALMAGUNDI CLUB   DIPLOMA OF HONOR OF THE NATIONAL ART CLUB

The closing scene. The flags of U.S.A. and of Spain are lowered.

POSTERS OF THE PAVILION OF SPAIN

The Spanish Pavilion comprises in its spiritual and material architecture a thousand different aspects and facets manifested in its varied contents and daily activities. Faithful image of Spain throughout the ages, the Pavilion is a synthesis of the best to be found in a people that makes its tradition a springboard from which to leap forward into the revolutionary future. From the art of Tartessus to the discovery of America, from enduring folklore to industrial mass production, from codices and castles to tourism at all levels, this image represents purely and simply the real Spain.   A contribution towards making this real image more widely known is provided by the varied and attractive posters of the Pavilion of Spain.

Source: 1965 Guide

Pavilion of Spain