Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-23
ABOUT WORLDS FAIRS
The Matter Of coneessions-HowC Con.
cessIonaires Got Rich at the crys.
tai Palace Exposltlon--Napoleon's
Strange Award--Amerieans Al.
ways Bio Prize Winners
by GEORGE NOX MCCAIN
THE sesqui. Centennial Exhibition Of 10


1NHE Sesqui. Centennial Exhibition Of 1926
L will have as its principal source of in.
come. aside from admissions. the sale of
concessions or privileges.
During the Centennial Exhibition Of 1876
some OF the concessionaires went broke The
mammoth bar In which number of Phila
delphia politicians were financially interested
lost tens Of thousands of dollars.
Inc same has been true of Americans who
nave held concessions at various foreign ex-
positions in the last forty years.
AT the Antwerp Exposition of 1894 an
exhibit called ."The Arizona Gold Mine"
1t depicted the workings of mine and the
extraction of the ore. The Yankee had been
running his show for two months when
had talk with him one day
haven't made enough to pay my
hoard he said in disgust 'it's the
poorest country | ever saw. These people
take slice Of black bread and put 1t be-
tween two slices Of white bread, call 1t n
sandwich and make meal off It.
AT my boarding house l asked for butter
one day % and everybody at the table stared
at me. They thought was an aristocrat," :"
Inc trouble was that he was living up
I" the dollar idea. Europe lives up to the
smiling or franc or mark idea.
TNHE first international fair OF any size
-, - was the London Crystal Palace Expos.
1t was was here that privileges Of concessions
There had been big fairs before, sc. called
international fairs. They were participated
in by only three or four nations.
Napoleon in 179S erected in Paris what
ne called the Temple of Industry in the
champs de Mars, and here for three days
was held what was called a National TX.
hibition.
1t was the first great fair where the
awarding of premiums and prizes by the
jury system was established.
Napoleon offered special gold medal to
MN whose exhibit should suggest the most
effective means Of destroying British com.
mercc.
In 1919 another great exposition was held
IN Paris at the Louvre, at which there were
l6Oo exhibitors. to whom were awarded 500
medals and premiums.
The National Exhibition of 1S49 in Paris
almost reached the proportion of a modern
exposition. 1t had 5000 exhibitors and
nearly 400 awards.
CONCESS1ONAlRES at the Crystal Pal
" ace Exposition in London in 1851 reaped
a magnificent harvest for those days.
The firm to whom was granted for SIG, 900
the right of printing and selling catalogues
disposed of about 300 900 copies at a net
proht of $4,000 IN the 144 days that the
exhibition was open.
S21.5OO.
The firm holding 1t disposed Of food and
drinks 70 the amount of 1915 900 during the
fair.
Only temperance beverages were dispensed
Meals were limited to cold meats, potatoes
and bread in some shape
More than G,0O0. 600 people attended this
worlds Fair, an average Of AZ 900 a day.
Ihe receipts were $500. coo.
Those in attendance consumed 1850 900
iioaves OF bread and cakes, nearly half
NJ
the amount of 10000 pounds was disposed
or besides beef Of an unknown quantity.
1t required 700, 600 pounds of ice to keen
the soft drinks cool and supply ice water
during the exposition.
TT WAS at this Crystal Palace Exposit,on
L that American exhibitors first began TO
carry off awards in large numbers
They have been doing it at every Worlds
Fair since.
Less than 5000 Americans visited Crystal
iaiace, although there were about 500
American exhibitors.
We received more awards than any other
nation, there being 107 medals and fifty
three honorable mentions given our people
England,s next great exposition was
opened on May l, 1862. The main building,
including its anncxes. covered an area of
more than twenty three acres There were
4S, 600 exhibitors.
OF this number only 12S were Americans
Inc civil War was then at it's height, an
unfortunate period. Yet nearly all of tho
Americans received an award
HNHE French Exposition Universele was
L the first and last Mt which the crowned
heads of Europe attended to any extent
1t was opened in April, 1867. in Paris
During its continuance the French En-.
peror entertained officially as his guests th.
Gar of Russia. the Prince of Wales, the
sultan OF Turkey. the Khedive of Egypt.
and the Kings Of Prussia, Denmark, Sweden
and Portugal.
The main building, which was shaped ss
an oval. covered fhirty-S seven acres of
ground. There were $4,000 exhibitors Of
which the United States had but :I3G.
carried off more prizes than any other
nation. They included five grand prizes,
eighteen gold medals. seventy six silver and
ninety eight bronze medals with ninety.
three honorable mentions
In th" Paris Exposition of 1880. for the
first time in French history, The fair proved
financial Success.
The cntir" cost was $500. 900, and tbc
total receipts from all sources were
50. 900 900. '
1t was estimated that during its contin.
uance American visitors expended more TIM,
S5O,OOO,OOO. There We're 10000 of them
There were 100000 foreign visitors
who spent $50, 100000, an average Of
about SlOO apiece.
In the above comparison we have the
difference between the American and tbe
frugal German, Frenchman and English.
man. The EnGlishman is the freest spender
next to tho Yankee.
our Centennial Exposition was n foilnre
~ financially, as ! have said.
During the six months of its existence r.
had total attendance Of 9.91l 900,
There were 2l $3.50 foreign cxbibtors
among whom were dist ribu rod Soei o,,,..I'