The books of the fairs
Subtitle: guide to the microfilm collection
Series: Smithsonian collections online : world's fairs and expositions : visions of tomorrow
Publisher: [publisher not identified]
Published: 1834
Place of publication: [Place of publication not identified]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 11412
Subjects: Exhibitions; Bibliography; History; Smithsonian Institution. Libraries; Smithsonian Institution; Books of the Fairs (Collection : Smithsonian Institution Libraries)
Other titles: Boletin Oficial de la Exposición Nacional de Panamá.; Daily Kedge anchor.; Exhibition expositor ; and, Advertiser.; Internationale Zeitschrift fürdie Elektrische Ausstellung.; Exposition de Paris.; Lewis and Clark journal.; Nineteen hundred.; World's Columbian Exposition illustrated.; World's Fair bulletin.
Description: The title The Books of the Fairs is a play on the words of the title of Hubert Howe Bancroft's official history of the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition, The Book of the Fair (Chicago, 1895). The desirability of a monograph collection from the holdings of the Smithsonian Libraries grew from what started as a preservation need. This collection, which was originally published in microfilm, contains books on fairs held between 1834 and 1916. It is worth noting that the collection contains both "world's fairs," such as the Brussels International Exposition (1897), and national, regional, and state fairs that were not "international" but which, nevertheless, are of critical research value. Books in this latter category include the Tennessee Centennial Exposition (1897) and the Northwest Interstate Fair held in Tacoma, Washington (1894), among others. The monographs here offer a strong representative collection that illustrates the breadth and impact of the early international exposition movement, as well as the variety of publications associated with it, with considerable depth for certain fairs. The range of materials is broad in scope, from glossy and expensive limited-edition folios of artwork displayed at fairs, to manuscript letters, penny guides, exhibit brochures, congress proceedings, and issues of journals devoted to coverage of a fair. The collection contains some 1,000 monographs in western European languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Dutch.
Notes: Date range of documents: 1834-1918.

Reproduction of the originals from the Smithsonian Libraries.

Publication titles: Boletin Oficial de la Exposición Nacional de Panamá, The daily Kedge anchor, The exhibition expositor ; and, Advertiser, Internationale Zeitschrift fürdie Elektrische Ausstellung, L'Exposition de Paris, Lewis and Clark journal, The nineteen hundred, World's Columbian Exposition illustrated, and World's Fair bulletin.

English, French, Spanish, German and other languages.