Freedomland U.S.A.

 Freedomland was a theme park located in the Bronx, New York developed by C. V. Wood, sometimes referred to as Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood.  Wood had previously worked for the Walt Disney organization and helped choose the location of Disneyland in Orange County, California.  At some time he had a falling out with Disney and went on to develop his own amusement parks, of which Freedomland was one.  It opened on June 19, 1960 and was relatively short lived and only lasted until 1964. You can get more information on Freedomland and its fascinating history at this Wikipedia entry.  Surprisingly there are several videos of Freedomland available on YouTube.  A few are contained in the links below, but there are more available.

The reason there is a section on Freedomland on this website is that Gilbert apparently had a display there at sometime during its short history. Below you will find photos that exhibit.   The reason this exhibit is believed to be from Freedomland is that "Freedomland" was written on the back of the photos, presumably by the original owner, but I have not been able find any further documentation.  Presumably these corporate displays were tied into the one or more of the different areas of the park.

Learn more about the Ray Mohrlang Collection 

To learn more about Freedomland, click on any of the links below.

       

The photos below cover the central portion of the display and the left and right wings.  I believe the display may be from 1962 based on the products displayed and the use of the shield with the words "Safety Tested - Gilbert Hall of Science."  This same shield was used in a 1962 Gilbert science toy catalog.  This is an example of Gilbert's use of the phrase "Gilbert Hall of Science" in advertising after the Hall of Science in New York had closed. 

Central Portion of Display

Left Wing of Display

Right Wing of Display