Unused Design Concepts on Souvenirs: Multi-color Gondolas
Some pieces of Expo ‘74 merchandise include a depiction of several gondola lift cars on a cable that passes close to the clock tower and/or over the U.S. pavilion. The cars have white bodies and windows tinted in primary colors, or the bodies themselves are tinted if the artist is working with a limited color palette.
These lantern-like gondolas do not resemble either of the two elevated transport rides that appeared at Expo '74. The gondola ride that went over the Spokane river had blue cars with untinted windows and was located at the edge of the fairgrounds, while the A&W Sky Float crossed in front of the U.S. pavilion (rather than above it) and had open metal-frame seats like a ski lift. However, these mysterious multi-colored gondolas do resemble a gondola skyride that appears in the same early batch of concept art as the tule mat pavilion. It seems likely that these gondolas and their placement were based on that art.
Detail from concept art of aerial fairgrounds view, showing white gondolas with multicolored windows in eventual location of ride over the falls.
Detail from concept art of aerial fairgrounds view, showing white gondolas with multicolored windows crossing from one side of the tule mat pavilion all the way across the river.
The “white lantern gondolas” even appear on an official postcard that was cropped from concept art.
The multicolored, high-flying gondola cars often appear in conjunction with the tule mat pavilion design.
