The climate of the
world's fairs could be compared to that of the Olympic games, in which a fiercely competitive spirit underlies the ambassadorial aspects of temporary international camaraderie.
This impressive scholarly collection of essays encompasses much more than gender and the popular perception of
World's Fairs. The articles selected for this volume go beyond the often analyzed Chicago
World's Fair of 1893.
Fair World: A History of
World's Fairs and Expositions from London to Shanghai 1851-2010 is an outstanding survey highly recommended for a range of collections, from general-interest to history and arts holdings.
The literature depicting late Victorian era
world's fairs and trade expositions is a rapidly expanding field for American historians.
of Akron) and Makwyn (history, Carroll U.) deliver a collection of essays that place
world's fairs into a feminist historical perspective, examining them in terms of gender display and performance.
Economics has always been a part of
world's fairs, especially in the United States.
World's Fairs are no longer a big draw for global audiences
World War I wiped out most of the proud monarchies of Europe and left many countries with no funding to hold grand events such as
world's fairs. The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II put a damper on
world's fairs in those eras, although San Francisco did host a
world's fair in 1939.
The Tiffany Diamond, one of the largest and finest fancy yellow diamonds in the world, was the highlight of the jeweler's award-winning exhibits at the great
world's fairs, including the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago; the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York; the 1933-34 Century of Progress in Chicago; and the 1939-40
World's Fair in New York.
The
World's Fairs of yesteryear introduced the Ferris Wheel in 1893, the Eiffel Tower in 1900 and the Space Needle in Seattle in 1962.
"Centuries of Progress: American
World's Fairs" looks back through colored grasses at what we thought the future would hold for us.