Opening ceremony of the 1900 Paris World’s Fair
World’s fairs have long captured the world’s imagination, bringing together nations to showcase breakthroughs in technology, art, and design. From St. Louis in 1904 to San Francisco and San Diego in 1915, and Paris in 1925, these iconic expositions dazzled millions of visitors, introducing inventions, bold architecture, and unforgettable spectacles that continue to influence aesthetics, technology, and culture today.
Art historian Jennie Hirsh delves into three pivotal fairs, revealing how each both presented the latest innovations and shaped culture, design, and the world’s vision of the future.
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Paris 1925: Art Deco on an International Scale
The Paris International Exposition of Industrial Design and Decorative Arts in Modern Life attracted 14 million visitors over 6 months. Originally planned for 1915 but delayed 10 years due to World War I, the exposition celebrated the fusion of art, industry, and the contemporary world, establishing Art Deco as a defining international style. Visitors encountered a bold visual language that blended Cubism, Futurism, Primitivism, and Egyptology into geometric, richly decorative forms. Highlights included the Place des Invalides pavilions sponsored by Paris’ grand department stores, Le Corbusier’s Esprit Moderne, Konstantin Melnikov’s glass constructivist pavilion, and extraordinary displays of Baccarat crystal, Lalique glass, and Sèvres ceramics. Hirsh highlights how the fair reasserted France as a global tastemaker and advanced international conversations about design and decorative arts.
Additional Sessions of this Age of World's Fairs Series
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