World’s Fairs

World’s fairs are expositions in which nations and corporations feature their foods, cultures, consumer goods, and technological advancements. Beginning in the 1850s these expositions became the forum for introducing new inventions, such as the telephone, medical X-rays, and television, and new, often futuristic architectural designs. While being part entertainment fair, part international diplomacy, and part marketplace, world’s fairs have always stressed innovation and the diversity of world cultures while allowing fairgoers to sample new foods from around the globe and visit exhibits featuring scientific and mechanical innovations. Cities competed to host fairs to enhance their civic reputation and boost local economies. World’s fairs were extremely popular during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries but had declined in attendance and commercial importance by the end of the twentieth century.