Besides introducing popular products and amusements like the zipper, the Ferris wheel and the ice cream cone, the World’s Fair offered an opportunity for nations to polish their images before the world.
The fairs were the place for countries to show off their creativity and innovation, art and industry. So successful was the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, as it was properly named, that cities vied to host them throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The influence of these World’s Fairs in shaping consumer taste is the theme of a substantial new exhibition opening this Saturday at the Nelson-Atkins Musuem that’s getting some international attention.
Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs runs through August 19th at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. By the way, like our Local Show Facebook page and look for a chance to win a pair of passes to the exhibit.
