10 replies to this topic

[Randy Treadway]

This postcard is from the 1910 International Exposition in Brussels.

I don't know French, but I think Logement pour Etrangers means 'Lodging for Foreigners'.
I wonder if there's anything like this in Shanghai this summer?

[Randy Treadway]

Here are a couple more from the same Expo.

[Jim]

Great stuff! It appears than very little changes when it comes to human nature. The price gouging we see at major events today was happening a century ago. Those cartoons are wonderful glimpses into that moment in time. Many thanks for posting them.

[Randy Treadway]

Here's another postcard from the same publisher, same 1910 Exposition. (the previously shown English language card was a different publisher)

[Jim]

This is one of those moments I wish I could post an image but I do not have the equipment to do so. In any event, this most recent image from 1910 reminds me of a wonderful New Yorker cartoon from either 1939 or 1940. The first panel shows an enthusiastic family enroute to the Fair via subway. The kids are small, excited, alert and eager. The parents are clearly ready and thrilled about the day ahead. The second panel shows the same family returning home. The kids, clutching souvernirs (pennants, baloons etc.) are clearly wiped out and asleep on the train. The parents are equally exhausted and barely awake as they return home. Again, I wish I could post this but perhpas this gives a word picture of the cartoon. And it is clear that nothing ever really changes.

[Randy Treadway]

Here is a French language version of the English language postcard.
It turns out that the publisher of these two was Valentine, the famous British postcard publisher.
Valentine got the contract for this 1910 Brussels Expo as the Official Postcard Publisher, and was the most prolific. But postcards are not restricted at all to Valentine. It appears that there were no exclusivity provisions because it seems that every publisher in Belgium and France produced postcards for this Expo.

[Randy Treadway]

It turns out that the publisher of these two was Valentine, the famous British postcard publisher.
Valentine got the contract for this 1910 Brussels Expo as the Official Postcard Publisher, and was the most prolific. But postcards are not restricted at all to Valentine. It appears that there were no exclusivity provisions because it seems that every publisher in Belgium and France produced postcards for this Expo.

The big fire that occured on the night of August 14th-15th is worth a topic of its own (biggest fire ever at a major international expo- several of the biggest pavilions were gutted and collapsed), but this Valentine postcard kiosk survived! What's interesting is that this postcard was published by one of Valentine's competitors.

[Jim]

Great image. Did this fire end the exposition or was it able to continue?

[Randy Treadway]

They continued.
In fact as big a story as the fire itself was the huge P.R. campaign by the Belgian government to cover up the extent of the damage and keep the visitors coming. They put out a lot of press releases that the fire was minimal, but there are extensive photos that tell the true story. Many of the damaged pavilions ended up looking like the one in this picture-- a pile of smoldering metal that looked like the crumpled remains of the Hindenburg 27 years later. There were photographers on the scene almost immediately in the middle of the night, and took photos of the Belgian fireman doing battle. Pavilions were on fire on both sides of a small river, and the pictures look like an hellacious inferno. I'll post some pictures in a new topic.

[Randy Treadway]

Here's another postcard from the same publisher, same 1910 Exposition. (the previously shown English language card was a different publisher)

The same publisher did this one 5 years earlier for the International Exposition at Liege. The translate is roughly 'The Broom Corps at 3:00 am'

[Randy Treadway]

Whoever wore this button would fit right in....



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