This is Throwback Thursday #305. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to  esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks!  email:esconi.info@gmail.com.

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The Sinclair Oil company was formed by Harry Sinclair in 1916. The dinosaur known as “Dino” first appeared in marketing materials in 1930. It proved very popular with not only children but the general public.

Sinclair’s dinosaur exhibit at the Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, in 1933, was very successful. So, Sinclair decided to use their display at the 1936 Texas Centenial Exposition. Again, it was a huge success.

For the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair, an updated “Dinosaur Pavilion” was built. It was renovated and improved again for its return to New York for the World’s Fair in 1964 and 1965. Sinclair has this promotional video and more on their website.

See the American Oil & Gas Historical Society’s Almanac post for a nice summary.

1964-1965 New York World’s Fair

In early 1964, spectators along the Hudson River were amazed to see a barge crowded with an improved Dino and his kin floating downriver.

The super-sized reptiles were again bound for a New York World’s Fair. One, Triceratops, was delivered by helicopter.

“For the first time in 70 million years a herd of dinosaurs will travel down the Hudson River this month,” noted the September 1963 issue of Popular Science.

“Faithfully sculptured and big as life,” noted the magazine, the fiberglass dinosaurs traveled by barge from the Catskill Mountains studio of animal sculptor Louis Paul Jonas, his 18 assistants and paleontologist advisers.

The nine dinosaurs took two months and $250,000 to complete by opening day, April 22, 1964.

By the end of the World’s Fair, about 50 million visitors had marvelled at Sinclair’s “Dinoland” exhibit.

Dino’s travels did not end when the fair closed in October 1965.

After being disassembled and configured for an extended road trip, Dino began visiting shopping centers and other venues where crowds of children were introduced to the wonders of prehistory, courtesy of Sinclair.

Today, many fair visitors fondly remember another attraction of Sinclair’s Dinoland popular Pavilion – “Mold-A-Rama” machines that dispensed warm, plastic dinosaurs for 25 cents.

After traveling more 10,000 miles through 25 states and 38 major cities, Dino retired to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas, about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth. He can still be seen there today. The Texas park contains some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world.

“There are two fiberglass models,” the park notes, “a 70-foot Apatosaurus and a 45-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex. They were built, under commission of the Sinclair Oil Company, for New York World’s Fair Dinosaur Exhibit of 1964 – 1965.”

During 1966 – 1968, this exhibit and the dinosaurs in it toured the country with many stops in the Chicagoland area. Jake Sinclair posted some nice photos to Facebook last year. According to Jake’s post, here are some of the stops in Illinois.

• June 29th – July 4th, 1966 – Randhurst Shopping Center in Mount Prospect.
• July 5th – 10th, 1966 – Evergreen Plaza
• July 11th – 17th, 1966 – Hillside Shopping Center
• July 26th – 30th, 1967 – Ford City Shopping Center
• August 11th -20th, 1967 – Illinois State Fair in Springfield
• July 17th – 21st, 1968 – Hillcrest Shopping Center in Joliet
• July 24th – 28th, 1968 – Belvidere Shopping Center in Waukegan

An Ad for Randhurst Shopping Center in Mount Prospect

Evergreen Plaza Ad

Ad for Hillside Shopping Center

Ad for Ford City

Ad for Hillcrest Shopping Center in Joliet

Ad for Belvidere Mall Waukegan

Here are their current locations.