Leo William Utter was born in Seattle on March 28, 1931 to parents August Utter and Jenny Haglund Utter of Finland. He was a lifelong Seattle resident and grew up in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. He attended Cleveland High School and the University of Washington. After graduating in 1952, he began a long career as a teacher in the Seattle Public School system. In 1965, he took a sabbatical year from teaching and earned a Master of Arts degree from the Teacher’s College at Columbia University in New York City.
Growing up bilingual as the son of Finnish immigrants, Utter cultivated his Finnish heritage and taught small language classes in his home for several years. He was an avid gardener and enjoyed cooking traditional Finnish foods. He was a past president and member of the Finlandia Foundation Seattle Chapter, the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest, the Tanhuajat Dance Group and various FinFestUSA Boards. He served as the Seattle correspondent for the Finnish American Reporter. In honor of his contributions to Finnish culture in the United States, in 1987 the country of Finland awarded him its Order of the Lion Medal in 1987. He passed away in Seattle on June 7, 2010.
The collection includes a variety of visitor souvenirs and programs that were purchased or collected during the Seattle World’s Fair. Fliers, booklets and entertainment programs document science displays, international exhibits and specific entertainment events. Official fair publications include the guide book and souvenir program while other memorabilia includes ticket stubs, picture postcards and souvenir sound recordings.
The Seattle World’s Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opened on April 21 and closed six months later on October 21, 1962. The extensive fairgrounds required years of planning followed by a frenzy of major construction projects, some of which were completed just days before the fair opened. In the early 1960s, Seattle residents watched in fascination as the Space Needle and massive Coliseum (now Key Arena) took shape on a nondescript, 74-acre urban site just north of downtown. Unlike construction for most previous American expositions, the Seattle fairground buildings were part of a long range plan for a permanent civic center. During the fair, the principal buildings totaled almost 400,000 square feet of space. Some temporary structures were demolished shortly after the close, but others such as the Space Needle, Opera House and Coliseum became part of a lasting cultural legacy in Seattle.
The dramatic Space Needle became a visible symbol for the fair, and during construction was highly promoted with architectural models and drawings. The broad, diverse International Plaza near the Washington State Coliseum contained pavilions and exhibits from countries such as Canada, India, Japan, Sweden, France and Mexico. During the six-month run, nearly 10 million people visited the fair, including large numbers of proud, excited Seattleites.
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
Leo William Utter Collection on the Century 21 Exposition, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Gift of Leo Utter; received in August 1965
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
World's Fair Records. Original music by Toni Mineo, orchestrated by Attilio Mineo, Mineo & Mineo Music Publishing Co. Color photograph of fairgrounds printed on record.
Picture postcard record, with photo of Information Booth and Space Needle.
Picture postcard record, with photo of U.S. Science Pavilion at night.
Produced by Seafair Records
Description of NASA and the NASA exhibit.
Autographed on cover
"Cirque at the Fair" presented
The "Canadian Tattoo" told the story of the Canadian military through music and performances by various Canadian military groups. The program was performed daily during Canada Week, September 10-15, 1962.
This brochure advertising Gov-Mart, a department store for members of Government Employees Associated, Inc., includes an application for membership in this non-profit organization.
Includes mail order form for tickets and a Housing Reservation Form from Expo-Lodging Service.
Complimentary souvenir copy printed for the Seattle World's Fair
Includes a map of the fairgrounds and an ad for Chevron service stations.
The brochure describes India's "Land, People and Cultural Heritage," industries, and economic plan.
Torn stubs
Includes program on inside
This giant cake in the photograph was made by Van De Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakers, Seattle, in honor of Paul Bunyan's 128th birthday. According to the statistics on the front of the card, the cake weighed 25,000 pounds, and measured 23 feet high and 60 feet in circumference.