Today I am looking at World’s Fair glass. I watched this YouTube video via the ArtDaily.org website:
CLICK HERE if you cannot see the video.
I’ll be humming that little tune at the end of the video all day, today. I attended the 1969 1967 World’s Fair (Expo ’67) in Montreal, Canada with my grandparents as a YOUNG girl, a VERY YOUNG girl, practically a baby. It was a wonderful trip and I still remember staying in the home of a very nice family that rented out a bedroom in their home to my Grandma and Grandpa.
Those fond memories made me to do a little research about glass at World’s Fair’s.
the Great Exhibition 1851
Queen Victoria opens the Great Exhibition, photo via wikipedia.com
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October 1851. It was the first in a series of World’s Fair exhibitions of culture and industry that were to become a popular 19th-century feature.
A special building, nicknamed The Crystal Palace, or “The Great Shalimar” was built to house the show. It was designed by Joseph Paxton with support from structural engineer Charles Fox, the committee overseeing its construction including Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and went from its organisation to the grand opening in just nine months. The building was architecturally adventurous, drawing on Paxton’s experience designing greenhouses for the sixth Duke of Devonshire. It took the form of a massive glass house, 1851 feet (about 564 metres) long by 454 feet (about 138 metres) wide and was constructed from cast iron-frame components and glass made almost exclusively in Birmingham and Smethwick. From the interior, the building’s large size was emphasized with trees and statues; this served, not only to add beauty to the spectacle, but also to demonstrate man’s triumph over nature. The Crystal Palace was an enormous success, considered an architectural marvel, but also an engineering triumph that showed the importance of the Exhibition itself. The building was later moved and re-erected in an enlarged form at Sydenham in south London, an area that was renamed Crystal Palace. It was destroyed by fire on 30 November 1936.
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition 1876 Glass Hand Vase
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition 1876 Glass Hand Vase
This classic design frosted glass vase was an unusually elegant and tasteful souvenir of the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia in 1876. The detailed hand holds a fan-shaped embossed vase. The photo via http://www.the-forum.com
Columbian Exposition 1893 – George Washington Glass Hatchet
Columbian Exposition 1893 "The Father of This Country" George Washington Glass Hatchet
Columbian Exposition 1893 “The Father of This Country.” George Washington Glass Hatchet. World’s Fair 1893 on reverse of blade. The photo via http://www.the-forum.com
Tiffany Chapel Columbian Exposition 1893
Tiffany Chapel Columbian Exposition 1893
Tiffany Chapel Reredos, c. 1893
Tiffany Chapel Baptistery, c.1892
In 1893 Louis Comfort Tiffany exhibited a chapel interior at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago that brought him international acclaim few American artists enjoyed at the time. The chapel interior was installed in the Tiffany & Co. (the jewelry firm founded by his father) pavilion in the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building.
1939 New York World’s Fair Trylon & Perisphere Glass Vase
1939 New York World's Fair Trylon & Perisphere Glass Vase
This imposing, elegant souvenir from the New York World’s Fair of 1939 is the essence of simplicity. The Trylon & Perisphere are etched on the vase in frosted glass. Photo via http://www.the-forum.com
1939 New York World’s Fair Milk Glass Vinegar Bottle
1939 New York World's Fair Milk Glass Vinegar Bottle
1939 New York World’s Fair Milk Glass Vinegar Bottle. Decorated with the words “1939 World’s Fair”, and maps of the world. photo via http://www.the-forum.com
Glass From the World’s Fairs, 1851-1904, Corning Museum of Glass publication
Glass From the World's Fairs, 1851-1904, Jane Shadel Spillman
Pages: 60 pages, 20 color and 7 black and white illustrations
Author: Jane Shadel Spillman
Publication Year: 1986
2012 Worlds Fair; Yeosu, Korea
Did you know there is a World’s Fair 2012?
CLICK HERE if you cannot see the video.
The event will be held in Yeosu, Korea from May 12-August 12. The theme of the Expo is “The Living Ocean and Coast” with subthemes of “Preservation and Sustainable Development of the Ocean and Coast,” “New Resources Technology,” and “Creative Marine Activities.” I don’t know about you, but I see lots of glass at this event!
Worlds Fair 2015; Milan, Italy
The next World’s Fair will take place in 2015 in Milan, Italy. The theme chosen for the 2015 Milan Universal Exposition is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. This embraces technology, innovation, culture, traditions and creativity and how they relate to food and diet.
Everyone should attend at least one World’s Fair in their lifetime. Start planning now!
