More than 160 years ago we celebrated the first world exposition. While there had been previous national exhibitions, the "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations" in 1851 London was the first to become a worldwide event. The Great Exhibition, as it is known, sparked an event that continues to this day with the opening of Expo 2015 Milan running from May 1 through Oct. 31. In celebration of world expositions and fairs, APCS international member Barbara Cantanese takes a whimsical looks at purses from the international world expositions.
By Barbara Cantanese
London, 1851
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Hi! I’m the eldest. I was born in 1851 in Limoges, France, as you can easily see from the colors of my beautiful enamel. I was meant to become a precious souvenir of the first expo, held in London that year.
I was with other fellow purses. Some had a clock, others a compass, but I was more cherished. I was so elegant! Those were the days. Prince Albert had this bright idea of a world expo and yet there was a moment when everything seemed to fail since no project was considered good enough. But then a gardener, one John Paxton, presented his idea of building a palace in the form of a glass house.
It was built in the area of Hyde Park, using prefabricated elements, all iron and glass.
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It was an enormous success. Since the expo theme was the "Works of Industry of all Nations," iron symbolized the triumph of technology whereas its shape and the use of glass reminded people of the tie with Nature.
Important technical innovations were presented like the most powerful steam engine and, for the first time, there was a restaurant, the “Gastronomic Symposium of all Nations” able to serve 1,000 meals at the same time. Twenty five nations were represented and six millions people visited the Expo among them were kings, queens, emperors -- the most powerful and rich people from all over Europe.
It was a milestone in the history of world expos and the success of the Crystal Palace was such that it was decided to transfer the structure elsewhere to preserve it. Unfortunately the Crystal Palace was burnt and destroyed in 1937. Therefore my mission is to go on showing everybody how glorious the Crystal Palace was.
Paris, 1867
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Hi! I was born in 1867 and am a Parisian. I show you another bold construction, an immense oval of 490 m by 380 m - Palais Exposition Universelle of 1867 - and built in Paris in only two years!
The theme this time is the "History of Work," and, being in France, they also addressed the moral and social conditions of workers.
The Emperor Napoleon III who inaugurated the expo was totally unaware of his troubled future and that in few years another revolution would remove the monarchy from France.
Instead, when he appeared the great Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini personally directed the performance of his hymn in honor of the Emperor and his people.
A certain Gustave Eiffel had the task to build the Galerie des Machines, and a yet unknown American, Mr. Otis, showed the first model of a lift (elevator). A new material, aluminium,was presented and the famous Egyptologist, Mariette, built a beautiful place -- The Egyptian Park -- where he showcased some of his most interesting finds.
Paris, 1878
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Hi! We two are great friends and we don’t look our age,do we? We were born in 1878 and saw the first expo of the third Republic in Paris. Even if the main theme was reconciliation after the terrible Franco-Prussian War and the horrors of the Commune, the real aim was to show that whatever Monarchy had done, the Republic could do that better.
When on May 1st Marechal MacMahon officially opened the expo, and the notes of the hymn “Vive la France” were being played. It was pouring rain, but in the end the sun peeped out and everything went all right.
Important personalities were present like Victor Hugo, who spoke in defense of copyright, Auguste Rodin, creator of the fountain at the new building, le Trocadero, and Frederic A. Bartholdi who showcased the head of his Statue of Liberty before it was shipped to New York.
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Great success was obtained by the Americans who not only presented a lot of new, useful devices: sewing machines, early of refrigerators and phonographs, porcelain teeth, but also promoted their image of an active and positive self-made man.
Paris, 1889
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Hi! We two play the peacock a bit, you know, but we have the tour Eiffel on us and the Tour Eiffel is the symbol of our city. We were born in Paris in a very special year, 1889, the anniversary of the French Revolution and the Universal Expo done to celebrate its centennial.
As you can see from our front, the tower was placed just at the entrance of the exposition, located this time in the area of the Champ-de-Mars. With a 300-meter height, it was such a “coup-d’oeil” that it was left there forever!
For the first time visitors could enter in the evening, too, since there was electric light and since then Paris has been nicknamed la Ville lumière (the City of Light). Thomas A. Edison himself had a stand to show his inventions, whereas a certain German engineer, Benz, presented the first petrol car.
But there was also room for entertainment, African concerts, Arabian dances and obviously Can Can and sparkling Parisian nights.
Paris, 1900
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Hi! Some wrong-thinking people assert that I lie about my age, but I swear I was born just at the turn of the century, for the fifth and last expo in Paris in 1900. I represent the Trocadero, a funny pastiche that had been created on the other bank of the Seine and was demolished in 1937. So, if you look at me carefully you may recognize my eclectic architecture.
That expo was an enormous success. Nearly 51 millions visitors. The French population at the time was only 41 million. The theme was "The Weighing of a Century" and what a century it had been. Opening with Napoleon I as Emperor and ending with a Republic, with the progress transforming life and people of France year after year. Paris saw its first metro line and the first film of the Lumiéres brothers.
But above all, the expo had the great merit of bringing Art Nouveau with all its beauty to the world and everybody fell under the charm of this revolutionary and sinuous style. Le Grand Palais and le Petit Palais, Pont Alexandre, la Gare d’Orsay are all creations that still testify the enthusiasm that was in the air that was "La Belle Epoque."
Milan, 1906
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Hi! I’m the youngest, and a bit a coquette. I know I show no image on me like my friends, but I won a prize. It was 1906 and we were in Milan for the first Italian Exhibition, dedicated to transportation and motion (you know, futurism was just behind the corner).
A very important Gallery had been built between Italy and France, the Gallery of Sempione, a gallery that allowed a direct railway connection between Milan and Paris. Everywhere there was enthusiasm for the beginning of a new century and this exposition was focused on means of transportation.
Cars were going around, aerostats (airships and dirigibles) took off, locomotives were shown, even "boat cars."
As I was saying, I won a prize for the most beautiful silversmith creation. My frame is engraved in silver and gold, with amethyst cabochons, and I saw the light in Genoa, in the hands of the famous goldsmith Chiappe. Well, I’ve got to say that I have some beautiful photos in Italian books.
Italy 2015
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Hi! We are a group of purses that want to welcome you at the entrance of this new Expo 2015 in Milan, we’ve been chosen in accordance to the leitmotif of this manifestation - food - so let’s introduce ourselves:
I’m a chestnut and was used in the 19th century to hold coins in a man’s pocket. I’m a mussel and like my sister purse made of a nut, I was a toy in the hands of a woman of the 19th century.
We are young instead, I’m a blue wicker basket by Fendi (1998) with a lot of Italian pasta in the frame and shoulder-belt and she is a Moschino (2014), an ironic (re)vision of the three Graces, eating cakes and pastries. Enjoy your meal!
All of us are proud members of Barbara Catanese’s collection.
Do you have a purse from a world's fair or exposition? Share it with us in our members museum. Just email jennifer. whitehair@gmail.com a picture and information on the purse.