Written and Photographed Hui Jie

Title: Exposition internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la vie moderne

Duration: from May 25 1937 to November 25 1937

Theme: Arts and Techniques in Modern Life

Main venue: Museum of Scientific Discovery

Total area: 259 acres

Participating Countries: 44

Visitors: 31 million

Unlike the Eiffel Tower, the magnificent Palace of Chaillot was not the most striking exhibit at the Paris World Expo of 1937. Also, different from the exposition of 1900 in Paris that reviewed the great achievements made during the 19th century, Le Trocadèro, even under the shadow of war, presented itself as a place where many countries gathered to show themselves. Nevertheless, the presentation of a combination of arts and techniques, in addition to the diplomatic considerations, this Expo attracted over 30 million visitors.

Its main venue was the Museum of Scientific Discovery. This consisted of several exhibition halls, among which the Hall of Historical Discovery exhibited many of the world’s“firsts”—as the first steamer, the first TV sets, the first glass manikin showing the blood flow and functions of the main organs of the human body, the first bicycle and others. The Hall of Film exhibited the whole process of film making and processing; and the Hall of Printing exhibited the history of the development of printing.

In 1937, 44 countries accepted the invitation from Paris and set up their respective exhibition halls at the World Expo to show their own cultures and resources. Netherlands’s postal development from the 17th to 20th century, Poland’s series of plans on industrial development, Sweden’s new agricultural products, Portugal’s goods exports, Swiss’s unique milk evaporation technique?All these were displayed in the exhibition halls of different countries.

The 1937 Paris World Expo concentrated on the application and development of techniques and arts in common life. At a time of glaring social conflicts and international polarization and mobilizations, the Expo still conveyed the hopes of the host, the participants and the public for peace and progress.