On July 30, 1961, as part of the annual Seafair celebration, amateur and professional photographers were invited to take photographs of the Seattle World's Fair (Century 21) construction site. Twenty thousand camera enthusiasts took advantage of the invitation, hoping to win a $1,000 prize. That afternoon, Seafair clowns released 2100 balloons at the Space Needle site to create a photo opportunity for the crowd.

Here, a Seafair clown stands on a pedestal after releasing the balloons, which float past the partially constructed base of the Space Needle.

Caption information source: "Camera Day Set at Fair Site," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 30, 1961, p. 30.