In the series ... "I REMEMBER THE ROCKAWAYS"... Stevie S. Stevens writes about
Publicizing The Rockaways - for The 1939 World's Fair

 
This "cheesecake shot" of a bathing beauty sunning herself presumably on a Rockaway Beach is one of many images in the 24 page booklet published by the Chamber of Commerce of the Rockaways to promote the Rockaways as an attraction and destination for visitors to the 1939 World's Fair. Click on this image to view a slideshow presentation of the booklet. While viewing the slideshow you can click on the 'F11' key (located at the top of your computer's keyboard) to toggle back and forth between Full Screen and Regular Viewing Modes.
 

In an attempt to create excitement for the Rockaway peninsula so that it too might reap some degree of financial benefit from the hoopla associated with the 1939-1940 World's Fair being held in Flushing Meadows, the local Chamber of Commerce began an earnest advertising campaign early in March of '39. Post plaques, bulletins, mail-outs, and large road-side billboards "sprung up" extolling the virtues of the eleven miles of beachfront. Colorful large (non-postage) stamps were offered free of charge at local post offices - these stickers (hopefully) to be adhered to private mailings to out-of-towners with the desire of encouraging people to make a visit to the Rockaways when they were in the neighborhood of Flushing, Queens. A timely, convenient and colorful booklet was also prepared and dispensed by the Chamber -definitely a sales-promotion piece - an organ primarily intended to promote the various inns and hotels - inviting fair goers to lodge in the nearby Rockaways - enjoy the beach by day; travel to the exciting and close-by park at night.

Although not an initial attempt at issuing a resort-type self-promoting advertising pamphlet, this 24 - page document was actually the first substantial effort provided by the Far Rockaway Chamber of Commerce to herald the peninsula. The World's Fair was certainly a main event, an international attraction and the Rockaways did not want to be omitted from the fun and pageantry - especially when there was the promise of financial gain.

Promoted as "Rockaway - the playground of the City of New York" - the booklet claims that "there is no better place than the Rockaways to enjoy the cool, invigorating breezes that sweep in from the vast Atlantic Ocean." The booklet goes further to extol the availability of bathing, boating, fishing, golf, handball and boosts the "ever-popular" Rockaway's Playland.

A travel map is offered - showing the large Queens area - giving possible automobile routes to the fairgrounds and shows segments of the 11 miles of Rockaway oceanfront and boasts about a full six miles of convenient wooden boardwalk. The booklet also points out that on so many occasions "casual visitors to our resort have become summer residents, and summer residents have (often) become all-year-round residents".

 
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