I'm currently reading The Recognitions and randomly stumbled across information about the 1939 World's Fair in New York (Gaddis would have been 17 at the time). They had a time capsule there intended to be opened in 5,000 years, and some of the items included are a Mickey Mouse watch, a Kewpie doll, and a pack of Camel cigarettes. Could this be an influence on items included in his novel? Have any of you found anything similar?