Klaus Bürgle

100-storey residential towers, jet powered commuter trains, 1968.

The graphic artist Klaus Bürgle was born in Stuttgart, Germany in 1926.

Bürgle studied at the the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design from 1948 to 1951. After a 1-year stint working at a graphic design firm, he decided to go freelance. It was in 1953 that he began illustrating for science and technology magazines such as Das Neue Universum ("The New Universe").

Throughout the 1950's and 60's, Klauss Bürgle created countless covers and interior illustrations for a wide variety of popular science books and magazines, as well as working on scientific-themed television shows. While space exploration was certainly his favorite subject, many of his works show futuristic cities and transport.

Much like Star Trek or Expo 67 itself, I've always loved how the "future" was depicted in the past...!

"Air station" connected to rail system with parking for thousands of cars, 1955.

Interchange with seperate levels for cars and public transit, 1965.

Multi-storey expressway with overhead monorails, 1959. (I love the cars...!)

A fully automated rapid transit system carrying both people and cars, 1969.

Remote-controlled high-speed tube trains, above and below ground, 1967.

Polar-region air terminal, 1953.

images: retro-futurismus.de

Betsy McCall at Expo 67

 

In 1951, McCall's women's magazine introduced a paper doll called Betsy McCall; a spunky little girl with a pug nose, brown eyes and a brown bob.

An instant hit, the editors of McCall's had rightly guessed that mothers would be even more inclined to buy their magazine if it contained a nice little extra for their daughters. Each month, little girls across America begged their mothers for the very latest Betsy. Additionally, for a small fee (25¢ in 1967) paper dolls printed on cardboard could be ordered by mail.

Appearing in most issues of the magazine from 1951 to 1995, each Betsy McCall installment came with a set of paper dolls and clothing, as well as a fun little story meant to inspire children as they played. Sometimes Betsy would be helping Mom around the house, working in the yard, or celebrating a holiday.

In August of 1967, Betsy and her family visited Expo 67. She wrote to her cousin Linda of her Expo adventures:

 

"All five of us have been touring the fair - the twins in a pushcart like zillions of other babies," wrote Betsy. "It's hard for me to describe the buildings very well because they are like nothing you've ever seen, so I'm sending snapshots Daddy took."

 

"We rode on the monorail, which is a railroad in the air; it slips through the United States pavilion and comes out the other side - Daddy says it's like a squiggly worm going through an ENOURMOUS apple..."

original image source: thebleudoor.com