Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
- Overview of the Collection
- Historical Background
- Content Description
- Use of the Collection
- Administrative Information
-
Detailed Description of the Collection
- North, Central and South American Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1885-1886
- World Columbian Exposition, Chicago, IL, 1893
- Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, New York, 1901
- Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, Missouri, 1904
- Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915
- Panama California Exposition in San Diego, California, 1915
- Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1933-1934
- Golden Gate International Expo, San Francisco, California, 1939-40
- Expo '74, Spokane, Washington
- Names and Subjects
Expositions photograph collection, 1886-1974
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Expositions photograph collection
- Dates
- 1886-1974 (inclusive)18861974
- Quantity
- 29 photographic prints and 8 illustrated souvenir books (1 box plus 2 oversize folders)
- Collection Number
- PH0390
- Summary
- Photographs and souvenir booklets from various expositions,1886-1974, including general vistas, and images of buildings and exhibits
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Selected images can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
- Languages
- English
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The World's Fairs (known as International Expositions in continental Europe and Asia) are expositions hosted in different countries around the globe that highlight scientific and cultural achievements of different nations. Fairs tend to last three to six months and also feature entertainment venues, rides, and food and drinks. The first modern World’s Fair was “Britain’s Great Exhibition” hosted at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London in 1851. This first exposition inspired a golden age of fairs with fairs hosted in countries like Australia, Guatemala, and modern-day Vietnam. The first fair held in the United States was the New York Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1853-4. Unfortunately, this first fair was a financial failure. After around 20 years, the United States put on the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This fair was a success and resulted in several fairs being held in the United States in the following decades.
The North, Central, and South American Exposition was held in New Orleans, Louisiana between 1885-6. The event was held immediately after the financially unsuccessful World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition of 1884, and reused many of the buildings to lower the cost of construction and recoup financial losses.
The World Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois from May 1, 1893 to October 20, 1893 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage to the North American continent. The event is acknowledged influenced contemporary aesthetics by asserting the dominance of neo-classical architecture and sculpture eventually leading to the “City Beautiful” movement. The fair’s attractions were also numerous and novel, including a Ferris wheel and a moving walkway, and were powered with electricity. The fair would set a high standard for those that followed, and cemented the preeminence of both Chicago and the United States internationally.
The Pan-American Exposition was held in Buffalo, New York in May 1,1901 through November 2, 1901 under the unifying slogan of the "commercial well being and good understanding among the American Republics." However, it is best known for the assassination of United States President William McKinley on September 6, 1901 by anarchist Leon Frank Czolgosz.
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition was held in St. Louis, Missouri from April 30 to December 1, 1904 celebrating the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. The exposition was a large-scale event with national and international participants, along with ethnographic exhibits of indigenous peoples from newly acquired US territories such as Guam.
The Panama Pacific International Exposition was held in San Francisco, California from February 20 to December 4, 1915 celebrating the completion of the Panama Canal. The fair emphasized rhetoric of US industrial achievements and nationalism, and featured architectural spectacles such as the Tower of Jewels and the Palace of Horticulture. The fair ran concurrent with the ultimately smaller Panama-California Exposition held in San Diego of the same year.
The Panama- California Exposition was held in San Diego, California from January 1, 1915 to January 1, 1917 to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. This fair ran concurrent with the official Panama Pacific International Exposition which was held in San Francisco in 1915. Architecture at the fair moved away from the traditional Neoclassical style, utilizing the local Spanish Colonial Revival style. Many of the buildings remain and make up the majority of Balboa Park.
A Century of Progress International Exposition was held in Chicago, Illinois from 1933-34 celebrating the city’s centennial. The focus of the world’s fair was technological and scientific advancements in the United States, aimed at bolstering low-morale during the Great Depression and sparking confidence in national progress.
The Golden Gate International Exposition was held in San Francisco, California from February 18, 1939, through October 29, 1939, and from May 25, 1940, through September 29, 1940 to celebrate the opening of the Golden Gate and San Francisco- Oakland bridges. The site of the exposition was built on the already extant Yerba Buena Shoals, which became Treasure Island.
Expo ‘74 was held in Spokane, Washington from May 4 to November 3, 1974, with a focus on the environment. At the time, Spokane was the smallest city to ever host an international exposition. Along with a U.S. pavilion, the U.S.S.R., Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, Iran, West Germany, and the Philippines were represented, along with the first-ever “Afro-American” pavilion.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Collection consists of photographs and miscellaneous souvenir booklets covering various expositions from 1886 to 1974. Images includes general vistas, buildings, exhibits (primarily Washington State exhibits and delegations).
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View selections from the collection in digital format
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
North, Central and South American Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1885-1886Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/1 | 1 |
Representatives of the Washington Territory in front of
a rendition of Snoqualmie Falls Photo was given to Edward Meany by Ezra Meeker, and American
Pioneer, 1st Mayor of Pallyup, WA, Oregon Trail advocate, and Commissioner at
the exhibition.
|
between 1885 and 1886 |
1/1 | 2 |
Reception for commissioners and guests of the Washington
Territory Photo was given to Edward Meany by Ezra Meeker, and American
Pioneer, 1st Mayor of Pallyup, WA, Oregon Trail advocate, and Commissioner at
the exhibition.
|
March 27, 1886 |
1/1 | 3 |
Washington Territory Collective Exhibit Photo was given to Edward Meany by Ezra Meeker, and American
Pioneer, 1st Mayor of Pallyup, WA, Oregon Trail advocate, and Commissioner at
the exhibition.
|
1886 |
World Columbian Exposition, Chicago, IL, 1893Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/2 | 4 | Souvenir book of various aspects of the World's
Columbian Exposition 10 pages containing various illustrated prints of buildings and
their construction costs, exposition organizers, and other landmarks during the
event.
|
1893 |
item | |||
4-1 | |||
4-2 | |||
1/2 | 5 | 1893 |
Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, New York, 1901Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/3 | 6 |
Souvenir album of Pan-American Exposition 24 pages of black and white photographic reproductions of
buildings and sculptures at the exposition.
|
1901 |
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, Missouri, 1904Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/4 | 7 |
Post card of the Washington State Building Written on verso: DeNeuf and Heide, architects.
|
August 23, 1904 |
Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/5 | 8 |
Souvenir book of the Panama Pacific International
Exposition 24 pages of black and white photographic reproductions of
buildings, attractions, and sculptures from the exposition.
|
1915 |
Box | |||
OS3 | 9 |
Souvenir book titled "Views of the Panama Pacific
International Exposition in Natural Colors" 16 pages of colored photographic reproductions of buildings and
other attractions from the exposition. Photos proceeded by tissue paper with
informational text about the photograph.
|
1915 |
Panama California Exposition in San Diego, California, 1915Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
OS3 | 10 |
Souvenir book titled "Official Views San Diego
Panama-California Exposition" 13 pages of colored illustrations and photographs of buildings
and scenes from the Panama-California Exposition.
|
1915 |
Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1933-1934Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/6 | 11 |
Washington State exhibit titled "The Evergreen
Playground" Photographer: Kaufmann - Fabry
Written on photo: exhibit of Olympicans.
|
between 1933 and 1934 |
Golden Gate International Expo, San Francisco, California, 1939-40Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/7 | 12 | between 1939 and 1940 | |
1/7 | 13 |
Treasure Island Souvenir Booklet 15 pages souvenir booklet containing black and white images of
various buildings, sculptures, and views of Treasure Island.
|
1939 |
1/7 | 14 |
1939 By the Golden Gate souvenir book 15 page souvenir booklet containing black and white images of
the exhibition, aerial views of the city and bridges, and street scenes of San
Francisco bay area.
|
1939 |
1/7 | 15 |
Golden Gate Exposition souvenir book titled "Magic in
the Night" Contains 12 full color photos of night scenes at Treasure
Island. Forward by E.T. Buck Harris. Published by The Crocker Company in San
Francisco, California.
|
1939 |
Expo '74, Spokane, WashingtonReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/8 | 16 |
Aerial view of the exposition site before construction
with intact railroads that were removed for event Written on accompanying material: There was no thought of a
world's fair here in 1966 when what was to become the site of Expo '74 was
still a congested industrial area that blocked the city's access to the scenic
Spokane River falls and rapids. Railroad yards and related warehouses and
parking lots dominated Havermale Island, center, and smaller Cannon Island,
which was turned into a children's park for the fair by Canada, and renamed
Canada Island.
|
1966 |
1/8 | 17 |
Old Burlington Northern Tower and railroad with
construction vehicles in front Written on accompanying material: The old Burlington Northern
Tower and railroad station stand sentinel over the dilapidated yards that were
a major blight to downtown Spokane before demolition started to prepare the
site for Expo '74 World's Fair site. This picture was taken in June, 1972.
Numbers in the tower window indicate the number of days to go until the World's
Fair opening, May 4, 1974.
|
June 1972 |
1/8 | 18 |
Aerial view of the exposition grounds before the
clearing of the railroads Written on accompanying material: Cleared of railroad yards and
related industrial structures by 1973, the Expo '74 site still had a long way
to go before the opening of the World's Fair. Construction had just started on
the Washington State Pavilion at lower right. The old Burlington Northern
Tower, center, is one of the few structures to survive the transformation of
the site for a world's fair, and eventually a downtown river front park.
|
1973 |
1/8 | 19 |
Aerial view of the early construction for the exposition
site Written on accompanying material: Cleared of railroad yards and
related industrial structures by 1973, the Expo '74 site still had a long way
to go before the opening of the World's Fair. Construction had just started on
the Washington State Pavilion at lower right. The old Burlington Northern
Tower, center, is one of the few structures to survive the transformation of
the site for a world's fair, and eventually a downtown river front park.
|
1973 |
1/8 | 20 |
Workers clearing the railroads on exposition grounds
with old Burlington Tower in the background Written on accompanying material: The wreckage of the old
railroad yards in the heart of downtown Spokane was a forbidding sight in the
early stages of demolition in preparation for the Expo '74 World's Fair. More
people doubted than believed at this time that the site would be transformed
into a World's Fair site and, eventually, into one of the most beautiful
downtown river front parks to be found in any city in the United States.
|
1973 |
1/8 | 21 |
Aerial view of the completed Expo '74 site Written on accompanying material: Aerial view of the site of
Expo '74, being held here through November 3. Expo '74 is located on 100 acres
(roughly half land, half water) in the heart of downtown Spokane. The vinyl
canopy of the $11.5 million U.S. Pavilion is shown in the center of Havermale
Island. Lower right on the island is the Soviet pavilion, largest of the
foreign exhibits. In the lower right of the photograph is the Washington State
Pavilion and Opera House [the modern-day First Interstate Center for the Arts],
one of the only structures that will remain on the site after Expo closes.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 22 |
Aerial view of the '74 exposition, including Havermale
Island and the International Pavilion Written on accompanying material: Aerial view of the site of
Expo '74 World's Fair in Spokane, Washington. In the center of the photo is
Havermale Island, once a decaying railroad yard. The circular structure is the
U.S. pavilion. To the left is the International pavilion housing West Germany
and the Republic of the Philippines. Above that is the Russian pavilion, the
largest foreign exhibitor with 52,000 square feet. The upper left hand portion
of the picture shows the Washington state pavilion [the modern-day First
Interstate Center for the Arts], which will house an Opera House and art
galleries.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 23 |
The old Burlington Northern Clock Tower and United
States Pavilion with family in the foreground Written on accompanying material: "Meet me at the tower," is
probably the most common direction being given at the Expo '74 World's Fair.
The old Burlington Northern Clock Tower has been a Spokane landmark for more
than half a century, and it is a reference point seen from just about anywhere
on the fair grounds. In background is the dome of the United States
Pavilion.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 24 |
Ducks on the Spokane River with the old Burlington
Railroad Clock Tower in the background Written on accompanying material: Ducks paddle serenely in the
Spokane River on the site of the Ex [sic] Expo '74 World's Fair-- an exposition
dedicated to the proposition that man can live in harmony with his
surroundings. The fair opened May 4 and closes November 3. Attendance in the
first fifteen days was 468,946, which was about 110 per cent [sic] ahead of
projections.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 25 |
Spokane River and the U.S. Pavilion at the '74
Expo Written on accompanying material: The rushing waters of the
Spokane River is the setting for Expo '74 World's Fair. Theme of the fair is
"Celebrating Tomorrow's Fresh, New Environment." In the background is the
largest of the exhibits, the U.S. Pavilion.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 26 |
Ducks on the Spokane River with the old Burlington
Northern Railroad Clock Tower and U.S. Pavilion Written on accompanying material: Ducks swimming in the forebay
of the Spokane River illustrate the theme of the Expo '74 World's Fair,
"Celebrating Tomorrow's Fresh, New Environment." What was once the site of a
decaying railroad yard and city center is now the location for the first
environmental world's fair, which runs May 4 through November 3. Expo '74 is
located on two islands in the Spokane River. Shown here are the U.S. Pavilion
and the Great Northern Railroad tower, a city landmark for more than 50
years.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 27 |
U.S. Pavilion with firework in the
background Written on accompanying material: A star shell bursts behind the
United States Pavilion during a fireworks display at the Expo '74 World's Fair.
The $11.5 million pavilion, whose theme is "Man and Nature: One and
Indivisible," prominently features the words of a Suquamish Indian chief who
rebuked a delegation of white settlers who wanted to buy his land more than a
century ago by saying. "The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the
earth."
|
1974 |
1/8 | 28 |
Photograph of an artist's rendition of the U.S. Pavilion
at the '74 Expo Written on accompanying material: Artist's conception of the
U.S. pavilion at the Expo '74 World's Fair. The vinyl canopy rises 145 feet on
a center pole placed between two semi-circular buildings, both of which will
remain on the site. 10-73.
|
between 1973 and 1974? |
1/8 | 29 |
Bust of Vladimir Lenin in the entrance of the U.S.S.R.
Pavilion Written on accompanying material: A bust of Vladimir Lenin
greets visitors as they enter the U.S.S.R. Pavilion at the Expo '74 World's
Fair. The Soviet Pavilion is the largest foreign exhibit at the Expo. Over 100
Russians are living in Spokane for the duration for the fair. Expo opened May
4, closes Nov. 3.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 30 |
African-American woman, Phyllis Haynes gesturing to Expo
'74 sign with hand and foot Written on accompanying material: Phyllis Haynes captures the
festive spirit of the Expo '74 World's Fair here. Expo, which opened May 4,
will wind up its six-month run with a rousing series of activities and
entertainment. By the time Expo closes November 3, about five million people
will have passed through the gates. Several nations, including the Soviet
Union, Australia, Japan and Canada, have exhibits. So do several domestic
corporations. A first at Expo is the Afro-American pavilion, on of the most
popular attractions.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 31 |
Woman in front of an IMAX screen Written on accompanying material: The huge movie screen (six
stores high, nine wide) dwarfs an attendant at the IMAX theater in the U.S.
pavilion at the Expo '74 World's Fair. Screen is so big it involved the
audience in the film-- most notably in a dizzying airplane ride through the
Grand Canyon. The message of the film is that man should make proper use of the
environment. It runs 22 minutes and shows every half hour nearly 900 persons
per show. Attendance during the fair's first 20 days topped 231,000.
|
1974 |
1/8 | 32 |
Artist's rendering of energy exhibit Written on verso: Energy cub with 128 appliances, etc. used in
typical home- which gobble up energy. Surprising confrontation.
|
between 1973 and 1974? |
1/8 | 33 |
Artist's rendition of energy consumption
exhibit Written on verso: "Population." Comparison of growth rates and
consumption patterns between peoples of developed and under-developed nations,
related to a child form in U.S. compared to his counterpart elsewhere.
|
between 1973 and 1974? |
1/8 | 34 |
Artist's rendition of sculpture display composed of wood
furniture and other wood products. Written on verso: "Wood Products." The annual household
consumption of wood of a family of four.
|
between 1973 and 1974? |
1/8 | 35 |
Artist's rendition of water fountain highlighting water
consumption Written on verso: "Water." Consumed by a family of four @
year.
|
between 1973 and 1974? |
1/8 | 36 | 1974? | |
1/8 | 37 | 1974? |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Exhibitions--United States
- Exhibitions--Washington (State)--Photographs
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Corporate Names
- Expo (International Exhibitions Bureau) (1974 : Spokane, Wash.)--Photographs
- Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940 : San Francisco, Calif.)--Photographs
- Panama-California Exposition (1915 : San Diego, Calif.)--Photographs
- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)--Photographs
- World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)--Photographs