Salvador Dalí’s Dream of Venus was one of the most provocative attractions of the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Designed as a surrealist “funhouse,” the pavilion rejected the fair’s streamlined vision of the “World of Tomorrow” in favor of a bizarre dreamscape of distorted forms, underwater scenes, performers, and fantastical imagery. Dalí clashed with fair organizers, who censored some of his more outrageous ideas, prompting him to issue a manifesto defending “the Independence of the Imagination.” The pavilion became a popular and controversial experiment that challenged the boundary between fine art and popular entertainment.

Flushing Meadows–Corona Park

Dali's Dream of Venus

The St. Regis New York was designed in the elegant Beaux-Arts style, a symbol of the Gilded Age. Rising 18 stories at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, the limestone-clad hotel features a classical tripartite façade with a richly ornamented base, a refined shaft, and an elaborate cornice. Inside, the St. Regis set a new standard for luxury with lavish marble and bronze interiors, grand public rooms, and state-of-the-art mechanical systems hidden beneath three basement levels.&nbsp;

Artist: Hughson Hawley (1850-1936)

- East 54th St.&nbsp;- No. 695 Mrs E.D. Brewster&nbsp;- Hotel St. Regis&nbsp;- East 55th St.&nbsp;- No. 707 Francis de R. WissmanWelles &amp; Co. (Publisher)Welles, Burton F. (Burton Frederick), 1872- (Photographer)

St. Regis Hotel, New York, N.Y.; Frear Building, Troy, N.Y.; Stock Exchange [building ornament], New York, N.Y.&nbsp;

Dinner in honor of Signor Jiulio Gatti Casazza and Signor Arturo Toscanini, Hotel St. Regis

St. Regis New York

The artist Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala lived at the hotel every fall and winter from 1966 to 1973

The 1939–1940 New York World's Fair transformed Flushing Meadows–Corona Park into a vision of "The World of Tomorrow." Spanning 1,202 acres, the fair welcomed more than 45 million visitors to explore futuristic architecture, technological innovations, cultural exhibits, and pavilions representing 62 nations, 35 U.S. states and territories, and over 1,400 organizations and companies.The fair celebrated optimism and progress despite the outbreak of World War II just months later. Although it was not financially successful, the exposition left a lasting legacy, helping shape the development of Queens and influencing future world's fairs with its bold vision of modern life.

Queens Borough President Photograph Collection

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia Collection

Postal telegraph, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia Collection

1939 New York World's Fair

A Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in his work.

Salvador Dalí

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