zachary harden
Keywords: world expos | bie | world fair |
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Last modified: 2023-10-14 by zachary harden
Keywords: world expos | bie | world fair |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
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![[Bureau International des Expositions]](../images/i/int-bie.gif)
image by Zoltan Horvath, 5 July 2010
See also:
Many of the World's Fairs appear to have developed unique flags for the event. We have tried to collect links to these flags below. The list of World's Fairs is based on one in the World Almanac, augmented by the Swedish Nationalencyklopedin (Vol. 20, VITRY-ÖÄ, Bokförlaget Bra Böcker, Höganäs 1996, p. 127). Some flags are only known (so far) by description - these are described below.
mid 1800's, New York (Bryant Park)?
1851, London (Crystal Palace) - the "first world fair"
1853, New York
1853, Dublin
1855, Paris
1862, London
1867, Paris
1873, Vienna
1874, Dublin
1876, Philadelphia
1878, Paris
1884, New Orleans
1885, Antwerp
1886, London
1888, Glasgow
1888, Melbourne
1889, Paris
1893, Chicago
1894, San Francisco
1895, Atlanta
1897, Brussels
1900, Paris
1901, Buffalo
1904, Saint Louis
1905, Liège, Portland (Oregon)
1906, Milan
1907, Dublin
1907, Hampton Roads, USA
1909, Seattle
1910, Brussels
1911, Turin
1913, Gent
1915, PPIE San Francisco and 1915-16, PPIE San Diego
1922-23, Rio de Janeiro
1924-25, London (Wembley)
1925-26, Paris
1926, Philadelphia
1929 Exposición Iberoamericana at Seville and Exposición Universal at Barcelona
1930, Seville, Antwerp, Liège
1931, Paris
1933-34, Chicago
1935, Brussels
1937, Paris. The modern Breton flag (Gwenn-ha-Du) made one of its first public
appearances during the 1937 Fair.
1939-40, New York
1939-40, San Francisco
1958, Brussels
1962, Seattle
1964-65, New York, [not sanctioned by
BIE] blue and orange background with symbol
1967, Montreal, sky blue with symbol in white
1968, San Antonio
1970, Osaka, white with symbol in red or blue
1974, Spokane, white with symbol
1975, Okinawa, white with symbol in blue
1982, Knoxville, white with symbol in red
1984, New Orleans, white with symbol in blue
1985, Tsukuba, white with symbol in blue
1986, Vancouver, sky blue with symbol in white
1988, Brisbane, white with symbol
1992, Seville, white with symbol
1992, Genoa
1993, Taejon, white with symbol
1998, Lisbon, white with symbol
2000, Hannover, there must have been about 5 or 6 different versions - for example green
background with symbol in purple
2004, Seine-Saint-Denis, France
2004, Seto, Japan
2010, Shanghai, China
2012, Yeosu, South Korea
2015,
Milan, Italy
2017, Astana, Kazakhstan
2020, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
World's Fairs originated in the French tradition of national exhibitions, a
tradition that culminated with the French Industrial Exposition of 1844 held in
Paris. It was soon followed by other national exhibitions in continental Europe,
and finally came to London where the first real international exhibition was
held on May 1 of 1851. Since their inception in 1851, the character of world
expositions has evolved. Three eras can be distinguished: the era of
industrialization, the era of cultural exchange, and the era of nation branding.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo
The BIE (Bureau
International des Expositions) which organizes the World's Fairs was established
by an international convention signed in Paris on 22 November 1928, with the
following goals:
1. to oversee the calendar, the bidding, the selection and
the organization of World Expositions; and
2. to establish a regulatory
framework under which Expo organizers and participants may work together under
the best conditions.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_International_Expositions
The
1928 Convention has been modified several times by the following legal
instruments:
- Protocol of May 10, 1948
- Protocol of November 16,
1966
- Protocol/Amendment of November 30, 1972
- Amendment of June 24,
1982
- Amendment of May 31, 1988
Source:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convenci%C3%B3n_relativa_a_las_Exposiciones_Internacionales
The BIE has an official website, here:
http://www.bie-paris.org/. They seem to
have a new flag, displayed on their home (http://www.bie-paris.org)
which is the same white horizontal flag with the BIE logo in the middle, and on
the left the name of the organization in a semi circle around the logo, with the
starting letters in green ("B", "I", "E"), in script-font style. The new logo is
here on their official website:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/images/stories/bie-new-logo.png. The BIE main
offices are located in Paris.
"The 1928 Paris
Convention, which created the BIE and established the rights and
responsibilities of the organizers and participants of an Expo, applies to all
international exhibitions held by governments except:
- Exhibitions lasting
less than three weeks
- Fine arts exhibitions
-
Exhibitions of an essentially commercial nature
- The BIE today categorizes
these international exhibitions into two main types: World Expos and
International/Specialized Expos.
The two types of Expos differ principally in
the size of the Expo site, the duration of the event, and the scope of the
theme" (see chart below:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/intro-to-expos.html.
Since
1960, the BIE also grants recognition to the International Horticultural
Exhibitions ("A1 International Exhibitions") approved by the AIPH (International
Association of Horticultural Producers). The AIPH background history is as
follows: "In 1948 the Association of Swiss Horticulture (‘Verband
Schweizerischer Gärtnermeister’) celebrated its 50th anniversary. The well-known
representatives of the growers’ associations of the other countries of Western
Europe were invited to Zürich. In a meeting the
decision was taken to recreate the international association ‘Union Horticole
Professionelle Internationale’ which was established in 1909 but became extinct
during the period of wars and economic crashes. The new organization was named:
‘Association Internationale des Producteurs de l’Horticulture’ (AIPH). The
following countries were among the founders: Switzerland,
France, the Federal Republic of Germany,
Austria, Belgium,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, United
Kingdom, Hungary, and Sweden. At
a later stage Denmark and Italy
joined, but Hungary and the United Kingdom stepped back, Hungary because it was
absorbed into the Eastern Block, the United Kingdom probably because it did not
feel able to reap immediate advantages from the international co-operation. In
the sixties of the former century many new members joined AIPH as can be seen in
the list.
Source:
http://www.aiph.org/site/index_en.cfm?act=teksten.tonen&parent=4681&varpag=4254.
The BIE also recognizes La Triennale di Milano (Milan Triennial
Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Architecture), on the grounds of
historical precedence, provided that it retains its original features.
Source:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/trienial-milan.html.
The Milan
Triennal was first organized as a Biennial, starting in 1923 as part of the I
Biennale delle arti decorative) (I Biennal of Decorative Art) set up by the ISIA
(Istituto Superiore di Industrie Artistiche) (Superior Institute of Artistic
Industrie) in Monza. The ISIA was founded one year
before, in 1922.
Sources:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triennale_di_Milano,
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISIA_(Monza).
Milan Triennial
Exhibitions recognized by the BIE took place in: 1933, 1936, 1940, 1947, 1951, 1954,
1957, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1988, 1991, and 1996.
So in total, the BIE
recognises four types of events:
1) World Expos
2) International Expos
3) International Horticultural Exhibitions approved by the AIPH
(International Association of Horticultural Producers).
4) Milan Triennial
Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Architecture
"The World Expo -
one of the world’s oldest and largest international events - takes place
every five years and lasts for six months. Participants include states,
international organizations, civil society groups, corporations, and
citizens. The size of the site is unlimited and participants may build
their own pavilions. A World Expo is an "International Registered
Exhibition", is further characterized by the broad scope of the chosen theme,
which must be of universal concern to all of humanity." Source:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/world-expos.html.
An International
Expo is an "International Recognized Expo", held between two World Expos and
its duration is three months. Participants include states, international
organizations, civil society groups, corporations, and citizens. The
size of the site is limited to 25 hectares and the Expo organizers provide
the pavilions, which are then customized by the participants. The theme
of the International Expo must represent, as with the World Expo, a global
concern but it must be more specialized in its scope. Source:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/international-exhibition.html
Today, 157 countries are member
states of the BIE. Membership to the BIE is open to any Government by
accession to the 1928 Paris Convention on International Exhibitions:
"This Convention shall be open for accession by any State which is a member
of the United Nations, or any State which is not a member of the United
Nations but which is a Party to the Statute of the International Course of
Justice or any State which is a member of one of the specialised agencies of
the United Nations or the International Atomic Energy Agency and also by any
State whose application for accession is approved by a two-thirds majority of
the Contracting Parties which have the right to vote in the General Assembly
of the Bureau. Instruments of accession shall be deposited with the
Government of the French Republic and shall become effective on the date they
are so deposited."
1928 Paris Convention, Article 35
The BIE
member’s states take part in all of the organization’s deliberations and
engage in the development of Expo policies and principles. Member states also
participate from the outset in discussions with the Expo organizers,
especially as it pertains to their participation.
Source:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/joomla-overview.html
For the complete
list of country members list please see:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/component/docman/doc_download/301-list-of-member-states-of-bie.html.
For additional historical information please
see:
BIE History http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/main/history.html
Historical Expos recognised by the BIE:
http://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/expos/historical-expos.html
List of
World Expos (Sanctioned by the BIE first in 1851 in London, United Kingdom)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_expositions
List of World
Fairs (Not sanctioned by the BIE, first in 1756 in London, United Kingdom)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world%27s_fairs
AIPH (Association
Internationale des Producteurs de l’Horticulture) (International Association
of Horticultural Producers) (official website) http://www.aiph.org/
Full List of Expositions and Exhibitions recognised by the AIPH:
http://www.aiph.org/site/index_en.cfm?act=teksten.tonen&parent=4683&varpag=4936
Milan Triennale (official website) http://www.triennale.it/
List
of Triennale di Milano:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triennale_di_Milano#Triennali
ISIA (official website) http://www.isia.it/
Esteban Rivera, 7 June 2010
Reading a little on this topic, I found that "the
1964/1965 New York World's Fairs was the only significant world fairs since
the formation of the BIE to be held without its endorsement"
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_New_York_World's_Fair#Controversial_beginnings
When looking up that at the BIE's official website
official list
of World Expos, I found that the 1939/1940 was sanctioned by the BIE, while the
1964/1965 was not.
I further found that "only five world's fair events have been sanctioned by the
B.I.E. in the United States since World War II: the Century 21 Exposition in
Seattle (1962), HemisFair '68 in San Antonio, Expo '74 in Spokane, Washington,
the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee and the 1984 Louisiana World
Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana." Thus, the
1964/1965 New York World was indeed not recognized by the
BIE.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_International_Expositions#USA_membership_and_representation
One can also see that the US membership has been troublesome over the years:
"The USA had its membership of the B.I.E. withdrawn in June 2001. The cause was
the non allocation of funds by the U.S. Congress for two years. Also, Congress
is not allowed to allocate funds for representation of a United States Pavilion
at a World Exposition. The new rulings state that the funding must be provided
by private enterprise, with the representation being endorsed by Congress - not
an automatic procedure"
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_International_Expositions#USA_membership_and_representation
Esteban Rivera, 04 May 2012
Not all Fairs and Expos are sanctioned by the BIE, as mentioned above.
- List of World Expos (Sanctioned by the BIE first in 1851 in London, United
Kingdom)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_expositions
- List of World Fairs (Not sanctioned by the BIE, first in 1756 in London,
United Kingdom)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world%27s_fairs
Esteban Rivera, 04 May 2012
We have a list of World Expos, "Flags of Individual World's Fairs" and in
this list we start by mentioning that the first such World Expo was held in the
mid 1800's in New York, at Bryant Park (official
website). It turns out that this so called "first
World Expo" was actually held "in 1853 in the wake of the highly
successful 1851 Great Exhibition in London. However it was not a World
Expo stricto sensu. The event in New York was officially called
"Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations" and it took place from
July 14, 1853 until November 14, 1854"
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant_Park and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhibition_of_the_Industry_of_All_Nations
World Expos evolved from local Western European fairs (mainly the
French Industrial Exposition, first called "Exposition Nationale" in
French, later dubbed "Exposition Universelle") which were a series of
exhibits aimed to display the inventions and achievements of the
Industrialization Era (also known as "Industrial Revolution"). The
most important one of this series of exhibiotions was the one held in
1844 in Paris, officially called Esposition Universelle de 1844 (also
known as French Industrial Exposition of 1844) which was the tenth in
a series of 11 total of these types of exhibitions. This tenth Paris
exposition immediately spawned imitators, including the 1851 "Great
Exhibition" in London, which was open to international exhibitors from
the entire world (thus becoming the first truly World Expo in which
several countries could show their own works) and outshone the highly
successful French exhibition. Other European expositions soon followed
after the 1844 in Paris: Bern and Madrid in 1845; Brussels in 1847;
Bordeaux in 1847; St Petersburg in 1848; and Lisbon in 1849. The
exposition returned to Paris in 1849, called the Exposition of the
Second Republic or Exposition Nationale des produits de l’industrie
agricole et manufacturière (National Exposition of Agricultural
Industry and Manufacture Products), with 5494 exhibitors and was
replaced in 1855 by an international exhibition (which was in turn the
second endorsed and officially recognized World Expo, after the one
hosted by London in 1851).
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Industrial_Exposition_of_1844
Even though the BIE
started to sanction World Expos since 1931, it did so retroactively
recognized the 1851 in London as the very first one.
Esteban Rivera, 21 January 2016
