World: As You Enter

The New York World's Fair's amusement zone covers 280 acres — more ground than the entire Paris International Exposition of 1937. Yet, although the biggest in the history of Fairs, the amusement zone sticks pretty close to any canny Midway's rule-of-three : freaks, peeks and rides. The freak shows boast no overpowering monsters: there are the pigmies and giants, giraffe-necked women and two-headed cows. But of thrill-makers, the Fair has one wow, and for peepshows, in spite of police threats, it contains more public nudity than any place outside of Bali.

Peeks. At...

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