¡Viva México! World’s Fair Exhibits and Souvenirs: The Shaping of Collective Consciousness

Abstract

orld's fairs emerged in the nineteenth century intended as showcases for Western civilization. Collections of commodities were put on display to mimic previous cultural achievements and monuments that distinguished civilized nations from their supposed economically inferior counterparts. By the twentieth century, these expositions refl ected the global competition for natural resources and the subsequent geographic expansion of the West. The 1933 Chicago exposition, aptly titled the of Progress, followed suit, presenting a blueprint for national economic growth and technological development amidst mounting global political and economic tensions. This case study of exhibits at the 1933 Century of Progress world's fair examines how U.S. concessionaires and Mexican government offi cials used the expo as an opportunity to defi ne symbols of Mexican national identity following the armed phase of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). This visual syllabary crafted a revisionist narrative that rooted national technologi- cal and cultural advancement in the country's pre-Columbian heritage. These displays in conjunction with the production of souvenirs allowed audiences to sharpen offi cial narratives that challenged negative stereotypes associated with fi nancial and political consequences of the revolutionary violence. The fi rst section of this essay briefl y examines the political and social context in which the theme of the Century of Progress emerged. The fair served international interests in promoting U.S. entrepreneurial ventures while legitimizing the revolutionary government. Part two focuses upon the use of material culture to represent national identity. Mexican offi cials se- lected regional symbols to represent the nation in an effort to homogenize and unify an ideologically and culturally fragmented country. The United States capitalized upon this symbolism and presented an idealized visualiza- tion of Mexico's path to civilization. The analysis examines how American concessionaires used ethnographic representations of the Mexican people as fair exhibits. Arguably these served a didactic purpose: intending audi- ences to reconsider the violent, unruly, and pauper stereotypes promoted by presses in the early years of the revolution. 1 Instead these ethnographic