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International Exhibitions existed to display the industry wares of the
nation-states in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Arising from the fairs
of the Middle Ages, initially as religious festivials, fairs such as of St.
Denis in France, from approximately 1,400 years ago, St. Bartholomew in Great
Britian, allowed vendors the sale of their products to large numbers of people.
Robert H. Thurston, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Steven Institue
of Technology, writing on the Vienna Exhibition of 1873, suggest that the novel
form of the new international Exhibitions was largely due to the change in
character of the methods of commerce. Whereas in the preceeding centuries,
vendors were limitted to these fairs to sell large amounts of their products,
the transportation and communication developments at the turn of the century,
"permits trade to be carried on with regulatity and convenience throughout the
year."
is less to procure the sale of exhibited articles than to make visitors familiar wit their character and value, and to inform them of the place of manufacture and sale.2
This establishes one essential feature of turn of the century Europe, newly emerging nation-states dealt with each other in competative fashions on more than a military level. Many of these competitions antedate the military interations that occur later in the 20th century. The role of Italy in these competions can be seen as singularily insignificant when one takes into account the geographic features of the state. This placement provides motivation for the development of fascism, industrialization and Il Duce's status as a father-figure in a historically agrarian Italy.
The formal history of the International Exhibitions suggests a certain focus in the industrial power. Through 1873, International Exhibitions have been held as follows:
Given that the first of these truly International exhibitions began in London, it is useful to briefly digress to look at the reasons given, and the methods of classification used in these exhibitions, something that will remain essentially constant throughout all of these exhitions. The First International Exhibition arose in the following way:
In 1849, the council of the Societ of Art, of England, recommented that the yearly exhibition of that society, to be held in 1851, be made the first of a series of displays which should "culminate evey fifth year in a great national exhibition, embracing all manufactures."3
The categories for the displays would be arrange according to Raw Materials, Machinery, Manufactures and Fine Arts. The council determined that in this instance, it was best not to issue any recognition of those products which were outstanding, this notion changes as the International Exhibitions continue.
The condition Italian metal industy at the Vienna Exhibition suggested that it "has been greatly depressed from a lack of fuel suitable for smelting purposes...". (Volume 4, 13.)
Notes 1.Robert H. Thurston, A.M., C. E. Reports
of the Commissioners of the United States to the International Exhibition Held
at Vienna, 1873. (Washington, Government Printing Office. 1976). 33.
2.Ibid. 34.
3.Ibid. 34. An interesting note: The
building constructed for the London Exhibition was composed chiefly of glass
and iron.
4.
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