Bronx Exposition Inc. stock certificate 1919 (brown preferred shares)

Failed Bronx World's Fair! Nice artist's interpretation of the New York State Seal as the vignette. Issued and not cancelled. Dated 1919. Folds from mailing. Measures approximately 11.5 x 8 inches.

This listing is for the brown preferred shares certificate - see other listing for the red certificate for common shares.

The Bronx Exposition was a planned but largely failed World's Fair intended for 1918 in the Bronx, NY. Featured attractions like a large saltwater pool and the first U.S. Navy submarine, but ultimately falling short of its grand vision.

In 1914, the New York City borough of the Bronx was separated from New York County to become Bronx County. At the time, the borough was growing quickly due to the expansion of the subway, and the Bronx Borough Courthouse had just been completed. To draw attention to the newly independent county, numerous persons sought to create a world's fair in the borough.

Although planning for the fair coincided with the start of World War I in August 1914, organizers believed that the war would be over quickly. However, when a groundbreaking ceremony was hosted on August 1, 1916, the war was still ongoing, and news of the groundbreaking was overshadowed by the Black Tom explosion in New York Harbor.

The U.S. Congress refused to provide funding for the world's fair due to the ongoing war and issues with the proposed large Latin American buildings at the fair. The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway declined to build a train station for the fair, even though the railroad's line ran right next to the fair site. In November 1917, the organizers bought land on Tremont Avenue to create an entrance for the fair.

Plans for a true world's fair did not materialize. The only country to exhibit there was Brazil. As a result, the fair failed after its first year, and the attractions were repurposed into Starlight Park, an amusement park that continued to operate through the mid-1930s.

The United States Army took over the site between 1942 and 1946, while the northeastern part of the site became the West Farms Depot of MTA Regional Bus Operations. In the late 1950s, a city park called Starlight Park opened on the riverbank opposite the original amusement park and exhibition site.

Product descriptions and images
Please note that some pictures may only be representative of the inventory available.  If we have more than one piece, we are unable to scan and display every piece.  Unless otherwise noted, that there are variations for signatures, cancellation marks/holes, serial number, and dates.  Colors will be as noted and pictured.