World Fairs: Just Another Flash in the Pan?

My first real memory is from 1986 – or rather, my first string of meaningful memories. I drove across the country with my mother and grandfather to attend my aunt’s wedding in Vancouver and the World Exposition that was being hosted in the same city. To be honest, my actual recollection of the Expo itself is almost non-existent, but I do have a rather impressive collection of memories (and a few photos -- one of which I've tried, without much success, to include here) from the trip. I’ve been thinking about that summer a lot lately, as the topic of world fairs and expositions has come up several times in class discussions and readings.

The idea of a World Fair is an interesting one in its relation to museums, department stores and carnivals – all places where people gather for entertainment, education or socialising. During the 19th century, World Fairs could be incredibly significant social events – think of, for example, the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851 (the first truly international exhibition) or the World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893. These early fairs were showcases of technology and industry, but they also involved dazzling displays of culture from around the world, an exciting event at a time when the world was a lot bigger than it is now. They were also great opportunities for cities to create lasting architectural monuments or public spaces – the most famous of these being, of course, the Eiffel Tower (not to forget the Space Needle).

Are these international events still relevant today? Perhaps the last truly important World Exposition was held in Montreal in 1967, during a time of promise and excitement. It was a time to celebrate the Centennial of Canadian Confederation, and the Expo involved truly innovate architectural projects like the Habitat apartment complex. But by the early 1980s, a world fair held in Louisiana had to declare bankruptcy. There hasn’t been one in North America since 1986, and most of us are unaware that they, in fact, are still held every 2-3 years – usually in Europe or Asia.

And so, since, in North America at least, world fairs are almost forgotten, what exactly is the point of them? The original idea was to promote international co-operation and friendship. Before international travel was as easy as it is now, it was a chance for people to ‘visit’ foreign lands and learn more about the world around them. But in an increasing global world, it seems like there is too much to compete with our attention for world expos to have much success. Public spaces or architectural designed for the events can end up underused or ridiculed – see my classmate Sarah Waugh’s recent blog post on her experience in Seattle, or think back to ever-controversial Habitat.

Expo ’67 was certainly something that meant something to Canadians – both my parents made the trip from Winnipeg to Montreal as children and still have very significant memories of it. But Expo ’86 didn’t have quite the same impact. And I’m not convinced that a World Fair ever will again.

For those who are interested in the history of world fairs, check out this website.