Expositions or large public exhibitions of art or trade goods have been around for many hundreds of years but the first INTERNATIONAL Exposition or World’s Fair was of course The Great Exhibition of 1851. Here guest contributor Curtis Radford MD from Wisconsin USA tells us about the history of these exhibitions and also some the diplomas that were issued - adapted from an article for the Ephemera Society of America and published in 'The Ephemera Journal May 2022'.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITIONS AND THEIR DIPLOMAS
by Curtis Radford MD
This author spent many years going to ephemera shows in the 1980’s and 1990’s hunting down Exposition diplomas. In more recent years, the internet has been very helpful in tracking down these rare treasures. The internet has shown that, like souvenir cards, Exposition diplomas have early examples from 1800’s as well as modern versions from more recent Expos. In addition, they have been designed and printed in many countries from around the world, often by security printers. Diplomas from 1900 and before were frequently printed in intaglio. The oldest diplomas are often only to be found in museums including the 1851 items shown in this article. Today, there are nearly 100 Exposition diplomas in my collection. Some are framed, cover the walls of my den, and are very difficult to photograph. Most are in archival pouches on display in a large open art bin for flip through browsing. Some are in amazingly good condition, some have been restored, others are in poor condition due to aging, brittle paper, foxing, mold, etc. While condition matters greatly, many of these diplomas are very hard to find in any condition.
World Fairs, International Expositions, or Universal Expositions were very large international exhibitions designed to showcase the achievements of their host nations. These exhibitions varied in character and are held all over the world even to this day. These Expositions originated with the French National Expositions including the French Industrial Exposition of 1844 held in a temporary structure on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. It was the tenth in a series of eleven French National Industrial Expositions held to encourage and highlight improvements in agriculture and technology. Its origin was in 1798. Other European Expositions soon followed such as Bern and Madrid in 1845; Brussels with an elaborate industrial Exposition in 1847; Bordeaux in 1847; St Petersburg in 1848; and Lisbon in 1849. The Exposition returned to Paris in 1849 and was called the Exposition of the Second Republic or Exposition Nationale des produits de l’industrie agricole et manufacturière, with 5,494 exhibitors and then was replaced in 1855 by an International Exhibition. The tenth Paris Exposition of 1844 created immense interest in the development of International Expositions beginning with the 1851 Great Exhibition in London which was open to international exhibitors from the entire world and greatly outshone the highly successful European Exhibitions.
Great Exhibition 1851 - Exterior by George Baxter published 28th May 1851
The Great Exhibition of 1851 was the first International Exposition. Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, spearheaded ‘The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations’, which was held at Hyde Park in the custom-built “Crystal Palace” between May and October 1851. Reflecting the rapid changes of the industrial revolution, this very first World Expo was a unique gathering of nations, showcasing material progress based on technological innovation. It brought together the best and most advanced creations from around the world and fostered peaceful competition and sought to encourage the exchange of ideas and inspire international visitors. It’s prime motive was for Britain to display itself as an industrial leader. It influenced the development of several aspects of society, including art, design, education, industry, international trade relations, and tourism.
This expo was the precedent for the many international exhibitions that followed. The “Crystal Palace” was an all cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from May 1 to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in its 990,000 square feet exhibition space. It was designed by Joseph Paxton, the building was 1,851 feet (564 m) long, with an interior height of 128 feet (39 m), and was three times the size of St Paul's Cathedral. The introduction of the sheet glass method into Britain by Chance Brothers made it possible to produce large sheets of inexpensive and strong glass used in addition to the steel to create this huge structure. The “Crystal Palace” was a structure with the greatest area of glass ever seen in a building at the time. It astonished visitors with its clear walls and ceilings that did not require interior lighting.
Great Exhibition 1851 - Interior - Published by George Baxter 15th October 1851
After the exhibition, the “Crystal Palace” was relocated to top of Penge Peak next to Sydenham Hill, an affluent suburb of large villas. It stood there from June 1854 until its destruction by fire in November 1936.
Gems of the Crystal Palace No 1 - The Exterior - The Great Exhibition building moved and now erected at Sydenham - published by George Baxter 10th June 1854
The Great Exhibition of 1851 turned out to be a tremendous triumph with six million visitors. Many other countries jumped on the band wagon to build “Crystal Palaces” for their own Expositions. The Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations was a World's Fair held in 1853 in what is now Bryant Park in New York City. It showcased the industrial achievements of the new world and also demonstrated the nationalistic pride of a relatively young nation. Opening on July 14, 1853 with newly sworn President Franklin Pierce in attendance, the fair was seen by over 1.1 million visitors before it closed on November 14, 1854. The fair featured its own glass and iron exhibition building – the “New York Crystal Palace” – directly inspired by London’s. This Palace was destroyed by fire on October 5, 1858.
Above: Crystal Palace New York - published by George Baxter 1st September 1853 - note the man in the foreground with a board stating "Baxter's Gems of the Exhibition now exhibiting in the Crystal Palace" published seperately by George Baxter but also used as the Frontispiece to the rare book 'New York Crystal Palace. Illustrated description of the building by George Carstensen and Charles Gildemeister, architects of the building from the working drawings of the architects. New York: Riker, Thorne & Co., publishers, 129, Fulton Street.'
Below: The German “Glas-Pallast” in Munich built for the General German Industrial Exhibition of 1854. Engraved in steel by Eigenthum D. Veleger plate from MEYER’S UNIVERSUM circa 1860. (Authors collection)
The General German Industrial Exhibition of 1854 was designed to highlight German industry to a global audience, but was adversely impacted by a cholera epidemic. The building, the “Glas-Pallast”, followed the steel and glass architecture of the “Crystal Palace” three years earlier in London. It was also made of glass and cast iron and had two levels. It took over 225,000 sq. ft. of glass to cover the entire building. The “Glas-Pallast” had been intended to be used as a botanical garden, but was used for exhibitions which helped establish Munich's reputation until it burned down in 1931. The fountain was later moved to the Haidhausen quarter.
Since their inception in 1851, the world expositions evolved dramatically. Three main foci can be distinguished: industrialization, cultural exchange, and nation branding. Industrialization was the main focus from roughly 1800 to 1938. These world expositions were especially focused on trade and were famous for the display of technological inventions and advancements. World expositions were the platforms where the state-of-the-art in science and technology from around the world were brought together. The world expositions of 1851 London, 1853 New York, 1862 London, 1876 Philadelphia, 1889 Paris, 1893 Chicago, 1897 Brussels, 1900 Paris, 1901 Buffalo, 1904 St. Louis, 1915 San Francisco, and 1933–34 Chicago were landmarks in this regard. Inventions such as the telephone were first presented during this era. Wikipedia has a very comprehensive list of all the Expositions from the 1791 Prague, Bohemia, Habsburg Monarchy – First Industrial Exhibition on the occasion of the coronation of Leopold II as king of Bohemia in Clementinum through to the Osaka Exposition of 2025. Again, the earlier Expositions were National, whereas the International Expositions began with the Great Exhibition of 1851. See Wikipedia's list of World Fairs
and also their list of official world expositions.
This rapid development of Expositions that were organized under different rules and with different focal points led to the idea of creating a common organizational framework. This project, first promoted by Germany in 1913, eventually came to fruition in Paris in 1928, when 31 countries signed the Convention relating to international exhibitions. The Convention defined Exposition types, their duration and their frequency, established a regulatory procedure for host and participant countries, and created a governing body to apply the Convention: the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
World War II and its aftermath changed the primary focus of the Expositions. The fascination with material progress gave way to the promotion of quality of life and international dialogue. Technology was still at the center of the Expos, but as a means of promoting human development rather than as an end by itself. By creating a platform for discussion and showcasing ideas and inventions in favor of better lives, Expos became global platforms for exchange and discussion. The evolving themes of the Expos from the 1950s onwards demonstrated this shift. Examples of this include the “Progress and Mankind” at Expo 1958 Brussels, and the “Man and his World” at Expo 1967 Montreal. Additionally, the process of decolonization led to a marked increase in the number of independent nations and, therefore, participants at the Expos. Only 39 countries participated in Expo 1958, the number of participating countries grew to 155 at the turn of the century with the Hanover Expo of 2000. During the 21st century, participation in Expos has been widened to include civil society, cities and regions, and international organizations. Today, Expos serve as transformational instruments to demonstrate progress in all areas of human life and endeavor. During the past 170 years, the format and scope of Expos has evolved reflecting changing political, economic and social changes. Since 1851, Expositions have provided a link between the past, the present and the future, promoting many of the same values and goals of the world demonstrating world wide progress.
Throughout most of the 170 plus years of Expositions, exhibitors were awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for their exhibits. These Exposition medals are very popular with numismatists. In addition, exhibitors, contributors and judges were also given souvenir diplomas which are much less well known. These diplomas featured designs from the world’s greatest artists and engravings by the greatest engravers. They are, therefore, great pieces of under-appreciated art. Diplomas were issued by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving & Printing for the Centennial Exposition of 1876 (SCCS # FB 1876A 46,000 printed) and the World Columbian Exposition of 1893 (SCCS # FB1893B 25,555 printed). Despite the large numbers of diplomas printed for many of these Expositions, they are very hard to find today. Their large size made them difficult to frame or to store. As a result, most were damaged and discarded over the years.
THE DIPLOMAS & CERTIFICATES OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851
The first International Exposition diploma was from the Great Exhibition of 1851 and it appears to exist only in museums. It was printed in green intaglio. It is also known in black. The diploma was issued to all exhibitors but personalized with the exhibitor’s name. The printer is unknown, but the quality of the engraving suggests it was a security printer.
Left: A 'Prize Medal' diploma (British Museum) Above: An exhibitors diploma courtesy of (Jeremy Norman’s HistoryofInformation.com) both signed botton right 'Albert' being Prince Albert, president of the Royal Commission
There were five official medals awarded along with a diploma illustrated with detailed, actual size engravings of the medal design. Awardees also received a copy of the extensive Juries’ reports compiled on each of the exhibits. There was also given out an engraved certificate signed by Prince Albert. See above.
It might have been intended for exhibitors to be specially recognized. This certificate confirmed that “Thomas Ascroft” exhibited at the "Great Exhibition.” This engraved and printed certificate, measured 54.5 x 40.5 cm, and was filled out in ink and personally signed by Prince Albert in the lower right corner. The design of the certificate includes a large engraved roundel by George Thomas Doo after William Dyce showing Peace with a lion and sheep at her feet and two cherubs at her shoulders holding cornucopia and Caduceus; the background of the Crystal Palace acting as an unlikely halo to Peace. At the foot of the sheet is a copy of both faces of the medal awarded. The roundel was engraved by an anaglyptography process (engraving as to give the subject an embossed or raised appearance; used in representing coins, bas reliefs, etc) by an unknown printer. (From Jeremy Norman’s HistoryofInformation.com).
Above: Design drawing for the Exhibitors Diploma awarded at the Great Exhibition of 1851,(see certificate above) c.1851 William Dyce RA (1806 - 1864) - (The Royal Academy)
Left A 'Certificate of Participation' for being 'engaged in the production of Superfine Shawls' printed by Charles & Edwin Layton at 150, Fleet Street, London. A souvenir version of this print was also produced. (British Museum)
THE DIPLOMA FROM THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1862
Seen above is the earliest diploma in author’s collection which is from the London International Exhibition of 1862 (Alfred Stevens designer & W. J. Linton engraver). It is an "Honorable Mention” diploma. Alfred Émile Léopold Stevens (11 May 1823 – 24 August 1906) was a Belgian painter, known for his paintings of elegant women. William James Linton (December 7, 1812 – December 29, 1897) was an English-born American wood-engraver, landscape painter, political reformer and author of memoirs, novels, poetry and non-fiction. Hence this 1862 diploma is a very well executed wood engraving.