For my first post, I will talk about the most famous building at the Brussels 1958 World Fair, the Atomium. Over time, this structure has not only become a premier touristic attraction but also an important symbol of Brussels, the European capital. Belgian engineer André Waterkeyn designed it especially for the fair. Waterkeys wanted to build a monument that was neither simple structure nor pure architecture but leant more towards the futuristic side. Being the first world fair to occur after the Second World War, Expo ’58 really strived to be futuristic and avant-garde. The result was a cubic monument that represents the über-magnified image of the unit cell of an iron crystal. It stands 335ft high and is made up of a total of nine steel spheres connected together by large steel tubes. These tubes run along the twelve edge of the cube and they link all the eight vertices to the center. Visitors can tour the spheres and the highest one provides a breathtaking view of Brussels.
Although the monument was only supposed to be temporary, it became such symbol for modern architecture that the government decided not only to keep it, but to undertake large renovations. These renovations began in March 2004 and lasted until February 2006. During this time, the older aluminium sheets were replaced with longer-lasting stainless steel. Also renovated were exhibition halls, the restaurant and the dormitory. For the time of these renovations, the Atomium was closed to the public. In 2008, the decision was made to close three spheres permanently, but the other nine remain open and can still be toured. In order to pay for this work, the Belgian government decided to sell some of the older parts of the monument.
2008 was also a big year for the monument because the Atomium celebrated it 50th anniversary. Large celebrations and special activities occurred throughout the year. For example, any visitor who turned 50 years old between the months of April and October received free admission.
Primary Source - Cigarette Holders
These satellite-inspired cigarette holders were largely sold during the 1958 Expo as souvenirs. Since Belgians are among Europe's heaviest smokers, this seems rather suitable. These are also very representative of the era. In the 1950s, the link between smoking and cancer was not yet well established and so this was a heavily social activity. Smoking was also seen as a very urban, chic trend and so it is very fitting that these cigarette holders be a souvenir of this avant-garde Expo. The fact that the holders are in the shape of satellites is another great representation of the futuristic theme of the Expo.
For a newspaper clipping from opening day (April 17th 1958) click here
Economic Factors
For an interesting article entitled Cold War on the Cultural Front click here
For another article entitled U.S. to Set Mood at Brussels Fair click here
Sources
For a newspaper clipping from opening day (April 17th 1958) click here
Economic Factors
Since the Brussels 1958 Expo was the first to occur after the Second World War, the scars were still very fresh. Many European countries were still re-building and so to allocate a great amount of funds to the Expo was simply not as possible as it would have been in future years. However, as Belgium had very prominent industries in the Flemish region, it managed to make significant investment in the Expo site (500 hectares), its organization and in the building of the Atomium.
Throughout its history, Belgium has always been, in part, characterized by its mixed economy; a system similar to capitalism, but which includes government involvement. In a mixed economy, both the private sector and the state are involved in deciding the country’s economic direction. In Belgium, this is further complicated by the third-party involvement of the monarchy. However, it is important to note that the monarch has always chosen to follow parliament when it comes to fiscal decisions.
The organization and the funding of the 1958 Expo was very much in the same spirit of this regime, with collaboration between public authorities and the private sector. In order to avoid competitive sprit, the private sector was organized as follows: each industry had to work together to come up with a collective way of not only funding the fair, but also coming up with a collective advertisement. For example, the textile industry decided that each of the prominent industries would contribute in relative amount to its share of textile production.
'Unfinished Business' and the US Pavilion
During the year of the 1958 Expo, American President Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office. At this time in American history, racial prejudice and discrimination were still very present in American society. This domestic racial problem made promoting the international prestige of the United States a rather difficult task.
After the 1957 de-segregation events in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Unites States conducted a pole in thirteen capital cities worldwide and found that they had dropped in many of the countries esteem, even though the overall opinion of Americans remained positive. A 1958 State Department report notes that “racial discrimination in the United States on public opinion abroad is definitely adverse to our interests. It clearly results to some extent in the weakening of our moral position as the champion of freedom and democracy, and in the raising or reinforcing of doubts as to the sincerity and strength of our professions of concern for the welfare of others, particularly in the non-white world. Moreover, it provides a solid target for anti-American propaganda” (Krenn, Unfinished Business) [1].
We must not forget that in 1958, the United State was in the middle of its Cold War state with the Soviet Union (current Russian Federation). The Russians were very quick to react to this opportunity to hinder American public opinion abroad condemning this “racial terror” in Arkansas (Krenn, Unfinished Business). The Brussels World Fair
Aware of the increasingly negative impact on the perceptions of Americans abroad, President Eisenhower and his administration encouraged the American pavilion to be one of inclusion. While the Russian pavilion aimed to highlight the their technological expertise, the United States pavilion was centered around the uniting themes of democracy, prosperity and freedom.
A year before the fair was to commence; the “American Idealism in Action” subcommittee was tasked with finding a way to incorporate and address the most pressing problems in America. They decided to build the Unfinished Business exhibit, one that would have a somber tone and would address three key themes: underdeveloped areas, the evolution of America on the world scene and finally, desegregation. This last case study would highlight all the progress made by the African-Americans over the years, it would also include statistics that demonstrate the American ‘melting pot’ effect. It was decided by the Eisenhower administration that the State Department would cover the cost of the design and that Fortune magazine would supply the talent and the time. This new type of international propaganda addressed the problems that were inevitable, however the administration chose to do so on their terms and shed positive light over the issues at hand (ex. Little Rock).
For an interesting article entitled Cold War on the Cultural Front click here
For another article entitled U.S. to Set Mood at Brussels Fair click here
Week 1
Newspaper
Week 2
Week 3
[1]"Treatment of Minorities in the United States - Impact on Our Foreign Relations," enclosed in John A. Calhoun to Gerald D Morgan, 31 December 1958. .
[3] “Unfinished Business: Segregation and US Diplomacy at the 1958’s World Fair”. Krenn, Michael L. Diplomatic History (1996) p.591-612
