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Industrial inventions, scientific advancements, and cultural contributions
- For over 150 years, the public has been inspired by and in awe of the world's fair. Since making its grand debut in Victorian London, the international spectacle has celebrated the achievements of countries across the globe, including industrial inventions, scientific advancements, and cultural contributions.
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Sep 13, 2024 · An epic world’s fair — an event that, historically, has provided visitors with a glimpse of a glorious future — could offer an antidote, or at least a balm, for this cultural storm.
- Overview
- Early national exhibitions
- The Great Exhibition and its legacy: the golden age of fairs
world’s fair, large international exhibition of a wide variety of industrial, scientific, and cultural items that are on display at a specific site for a period of time, ranging usually from three to six months. World’s fairs include exhibits from a significant number of countries and often have an entertainment zone in which visitors can enjoy rides, exotic attractions, and food and beverages. Since the mid-19th century more than 100 world’s fairs have been held in more than 20 countries throughout the world. Generally speaking, these events are called world’s fairs in the United States, international (or universal) expositions in continental Europe and Asia, and exhibitions in Great Britain. The term expo has also been applied to many expositions in various locations.
World’s fairs are governed and regulated by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), a Paris-based organization established in 1928. Its objective is to bring order to exposition scheduling and to make clear the rights and responsibilities of the host city and participants. The original convention that established the BIE and set up guidelines for expositions has been revised a number of times, but as of the early 21st century a large exposition, termed a “registered exhibition,” could be held once every five years, and one smaller exposition, called a “recognized exhibition,” could be held during the interval.
The English national fairs of the 18th century, which combined trade shows with carnival-like public entertainment, were among the forerunners of the modern world’s fair. In addition, the Society for the Arts (later called the Royal Society for the Arts and, subsequently, the RSA), established in London in 1754, produced a series of competitive art shows that included industrial arts—various technological innovations ranging from spinning wheels to cider presses.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the French began hosting industrial exhibitions. These came under the authority of the national government, whose aim was to assist French manufacturers in competing against the British in the international marketplace. The British, confident that their products were superior, never emulated this idea. Instead, the mechanics’ institutes in Great Britain began sponsoring exhibitions in the 1830s. These institutes were created to bring scientific education to craftsmen and factory workers, and their exhibitions displayed tools and other labour-saving mechanical devices that were based on the latest scientific inventions. The exhibitions of the mechanics’ institutes also featured entertainment and exotic displays, such as so-called “genuine historical relics” of sometimes dubious authenticity, as well as fine arts shows that mingled works by local and national artists.
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A Study of History: Who, What, Where, and When?
The era of the modern world’s fair began with Britain’s Great Exhibition (formally, the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations; often called the Crystal Palace Exhibition), held in London’s Hyde Park in 1851. It came about through the efforts of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert—who, because of his Continental background, had a special understanding of the potential value of an exhibition showcasing Britain to an international audience—and through Parliament’s adoption of free trade, which, it was hoped, would lead to more sales of British goods abroad. A royal commission chaired by Prince Albert planned the exhibition and held a competition for a building design. Ultimately, however, the commission rejected all the entries submitted and instead chose a design by Joseph Paxton, a greenhouse builder. Paxton’s iron-and-glass structure, dubbed the Crystal Palace, delighted the public and doubtless contributed to the success of the exhibition.
The exhibits on display at the Crystal Palace included scientific and technological marvels from many different countries as well as works of art and craftsmanship. Some six million people attended the exhibition, which earned a substantial profit. (A fund that was created with the profits still provides fellowships to British students in fields such as engineering and industrial design.)
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The legacy of the Crystal Palace was immense. Its critical and financial success ensured that world’s fairs would continue to be held. The period between 1880 and World War I was a golden age of fairs, with more than 40 international expositions held in locations as varied as Australia (Melbourne, Victoria, 1888; and Hobart, Tasmania, 1894–95), Guatemala (Guatemala City, 1897), and Hanoi (1902–03; then located in French Indochina, now the capital of Vietnam).
In the United States, fairs were inspired by the experience of those who attended and participated in the early fairs in Europe. Although mechanics’ institutes existed in the United States in the 19th century, their occasional exhibitions do not appear to have had much influence on the planners of the earliest American international expositions. One of the very first of these followed in the footsteps of the Great Exhibition. The Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, more commonly known as the New York Crystal Palace Exhibition, was held in 1853–54 in an iron-and-glass structure in Bryant Park. It showcased the same types of displays as its London counterpart but also included an especially impressive sculpture collection. Despite the fair’s promise, however, attendance never measured up to expectations, and it ended with a substantial monetary loss. It would be more than 20 years before another exposition was held in the United States.
- The Great Exhibition – London, 1851. Widely hailed as the first world exposition, Britain’s Great Exhibition of 1851 was a sprawling showcase of the world’s technological triumphs and industrial developments.
- The Exposition Universelle – Paris, 1889. One of the most widely acclaimed world expos in history, France’s Exposition Universelle took place in Paris in 1889.
- World’s Columbian Exposition – Chicago, 1893. Following in the tradition of many European nations, the United States had begun hosting regular world expos by the late 19th century.
- New York World’s Fair – New York City, 1939. World War One marked a turning point for world fairs. After the war, global expos declined in significance and cultural appeal; with the advent of radio and improvements to rail travel, fairs didn’t offer the same appeal as they once had.
Apr 26, 2018 · For over 150 years, the public has been inspired by the world's fair. Since making its grand debut in Victorian London, the international spectacle has celebrated the achievements of numerous countries across the globe. Here, we look at the world's fair history in order to answer the question: what is the world's fair?
Apr 21, 2022 · Defined broadly as large, multicultural expositions showcasing the latest and greatest achievements of their host nation, “world’s fairs are generally part of a reaction to social dislocation,...
- Grant Wong
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. [1] These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months. [1]
May 5, 2010 · World's fairs have been terrifically important for advancing the cause of technological innovation. SIEGEL: Flash forward to Shanghai this year. We live in times when even satellite...
